


Warm Afternoons

by orphan_account



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Coffee Shops, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, M/M, galolio, liogalo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-01-18 15:54:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 33,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21279320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: After a busy morning, a mysterious man saunters into the coffee shop at the tail end of Galo's shift. His name is Lio, and Galo is absolutely enamored with him. However, Galo finds it difficult to muster the courage to say...anything to him, and his pals aren't exactly the biggest help, either. Luckily, he finds a way.
Relationships: Aina Ardebit/Lucia Fex, Lio Fotia & Gueira & Meis, Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 46
Kudos: 267





	1. Chapter 1

Galo wiped the sweat off his brow as he started what seemed like the 800th caramel macchiato in the last hour. It was a bright and early Monday morning and Galo’s first morning shift. He recently began EMT school, and the only available classes were during the evening. Galo was definitely not used to the rapidfire pace of the early hours of the coffee shop. Sure, his old afternoon shift had its busy spikes, but this was an entirely different playing field. But even though the new atmosphere was starting to bury him a little, he was determined not to fall behind.

”Galo, that was supposed to made with almond milk!” Aina snatched the paper cup out of his hands, spilling some of the contents onto his apron, her indigo eyes piercing right through her pink bangs.

”Ah, crap! My bad, Aina. I’ll remake it now.” Galo instinctively reached for another cup, but found his fingers grasping at air. While he ran towards the back to grab more, he accidentally bumped into Lucia, who up until that moment was whipping out sandwiches and pastries to customers like a professional gunslinger.

”Hey, watch it! I’m in a groove.”

”Sorry, LuciaAAAH!” After grabbing a sleeve of coffee cups, Galo didn’t notice the small puddle of coffee on the ground and slipped backwards onto his bottom, paper cups comically flying everywhere.

”Galo, are you serious? Ugh, don’t worry about the remake, I’ll do it. Just focus on taking orders for now.” Aina helped Galo up, giving him a frustrated yet sympathetic look. “Try to relax, Galo. It’s not like this is your first rodeo.”

”Yeah, I know. I promise I’ll stop screwing up.”

”Well, at least the idiot knows he’s being an idiot,” a customer snapped, “where the hell is my drink? I’m running late for work!” She huffed her purple bangs out of her face, her stony, blue stare looking down at Galo like a bone piercing laser, pissing him off.

”Hey, lady we’re trying here!” Galo replied, glaring at the customer who had her arms folded, lips pressed in a thin line. 

”Galo!”

Galo whipped his head towards the drive thru window, where he found Remi, their manager, glaring at him over Varys’ shoulder. He shook his head at Galo, his disappointment filling Galo’s legs with lead.

”Sorry, Remi…” He looked towards the front door, wincing every time the bell chimed. One after another, customers piled into the coffee shop with furrowed brows and a sense of undeserved urgency. Galo let out a sigh.

_Alright, it’s time to grit my teeth and get this done. I can do this, everything is fine._

Galo wiped his hands on his apron, adjusted his visor, and began to man the register, where a tall, burly man of a customer, who was sweating through his suit, his lips curling as though they were hooked on a fishing line, was waiting.

Galo gave him his best smile. “Hi! What can I get started for you today?”

\----------------------------------------------

The crew was almost done cleaning up, the air hanging heavy with exhaustion and relief. Galo took his visor off and ran his fingers through his blue hair. He looked around and was incredibly proud of not only himself, but everyone around him. The place was almost spotless, and although Galo had a rocky start, he pulled it together with the help of the others, especially Aina. Lucia and Aina were wiping down the last of the coffee spills while Remi and Varys took their breaks.

”Nicely done, Galo. I was worried there for a second, but you managed to pull through towards the end.” Aina placed her hand on his shoulder, giving him a warm smile. Galo was incredibly grateful for Aina, after all she was the one to get him a job at the coffee shop in the first place while he pursued his dreams of becoming a firefighter. She may be a little hard on him, but it’s only because she wanted the best for him, ever since they were kids.

”Yeah, I’m both surprised and impressed. In your typical idiot fashion, you goofed, but at least you finished strong, I guess,” Lucia playfully chimed.

”Lucia, what did I say about being nice to Galo?”

”Yeah, yeah. He knows I’m teasing. Besides, I might like Galo as much as I like you,” Lucia threw the both of them a mischievous wink.

Aina scoffed and crossed her arms, “Very funny,” she laughed. Aina could never not smile when she looked at Lucia. “And what do you think, Galo?”

”Uh, I think Lucia is better off by your side. You guys are perfect for each other,” He glanced over them, watching pink flush their cheeks. He pulled them both of them in for a simultaneous side hug. “I think we make a good trio of pals, though.”

”You really are a little bit of an idiot, huh?” Lucia laughed and both Aina and Galo joined her. They were interrupted by the bell chiming at the door, all three of them wincing out of habit.

Aina looked over at the door and sighed in relief. “It’s an easy regular. Galo, can you take care of him? I have to use the restroom.”

”I’ve got you covered.” Galo turned to face the customer and immediately felt his entire body spontaneously combust into an invisible flame. 

The incoming customer glided towards the register with the finesse of a leopard. Galo couldn’t help but notice his frame, small and slender, but strong and cut in all the right places, each subtle movement of his limbs slicing through the air like knives. Galo bet if he somehow got into a fight with this man, he would most likely lose, and that made him shudder in a way he didn’t understand.

Galo peeled his eyes off the customer’s shoulders and slowly moved them towards his face, which made him intake his next breath so sharply, Galo was sure he would never remember how to breathe again.

This mysterious man had his blonde hair tied in a small, messy bun. The chin length hairs that refused to be confined to his hair tie hovered over his elegant face, each strand swinging with every step he took, like delicate wind chimes moving with a soft breeze. As he walked further away from the front door, the sun shone a little differently on his head, and Galo noticed a soft shade of green glossing over his blonde hair.

The customer made it to the register, his eyes looking up at Galo’s, who at this point just realized he’d been holding his breath the whole time. He still didn’t think to exhale as he got lost in this man’s eyes, which were a deep shade of carnation, gently fading into soft violet. They reminded Galo of a sunset after heavy rain.

_This guy is...breathtaking._

”Uhm, are you okay?”

Hearing the man speak for the first time forced Galo to finally exhale, but he did so too quickly, causing him to cough uncontrollably. His voice was deeper than Galo anticipated, but with a subtle touch of tenderness. It was not unlike velvet, rich and soft all at once.

Galo cleared his throat, “Sorry! I uh...I don’t know what came over me.” Galo could hear Lucia stifle a giggle behind him and he felt some heat rise in his cheeks and travel to the tips of his ears.

”That’s alright, I’m sure you’ve had a busy morning,” the man’s eyes glimmered with a bit of empathy, a half smile hovering at the corners of his mouth.

”So, uh, what can I get started for you today?” Galo felt himself begin to sweat underneath his visor. He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous to take his order, but there he was, tapping his finger against the counter, drumming to the beat of his increasing heart rate.

”I’d like a large hazelnut latte with soy milk, please,” The man looked away from Galo and turned his attention to the tote he was carrying, presumably fishing for his wallet. Galo felt a small pang in his chest, disappointed that their eyes were no longer lingering on each other.

”Uh, yeah, you got it,” Galo quickly grabbed a large paper cup, but his hands immediately began to sweat once his fingers gripped the black marker, the weight of the question he was about to ask hanging heavy on his shoulders.

”So, w-what’s your name for the order?” It was rare for Galo to ever stammer over his words, always presenting himself with gusto and self-assuredness, even if he was wrong.

”Sure, it’s Lio.”

_Lio…yeah, that’s...nice..._

”Alright, Lio,” Galo loved the way his name rolled off his tongue, almost like the first word of an incantation, “I’ll get that started for you right away.”

”Thank you, Galo,” Lio finally pulled his wallet out of his bag.

Galo was frozen in place, Lio’s voice reverberating off the walls of his skull, like a bell timing at noon, uttering his name.

_Wait, how does he know my name? Is he a mind reader? I mean with those eyes…. No, no, don’t be ridiculous. There has to be an explanation, like fate or something._

”Uh, so how do you know my name?”

Lio paused as he took out his card from his wallet, his eyes meeting Galo’s once more, sunsets burning into his soul. They narrowed slightly, amusement filling their center, swimming at the edges.

Lio sighed out a small laugh and pointed very closely at Galo’s chest. Lucia was almost beside herself, hunched over the floor, desperately squeezing her mouth shut with both of her hands. Galo didn’t care, though, beads of sweat trickling down his neck, running into the hairs standing on his back. He didn’t dare move his eyes from Lio’s finger.

”Uh, your name tag?”

Lio’s words came crashing down on Galo, the obvious reasoning of it all seeping into every pore. For the first time in his life, Galo felt like a real idiot. He absentmindedly clutched his nametag as Lio pulled out his card. 

”Right, of course, my nametag,” Galo was at a complete loss for words, another first. He took the card from Lio’s outstretched hand, their fingertips touching for a brief moment. Lio’s fingers were surprisingly warm. Galo wasn’t sure why he expected them to be frigid. Perhaps it was because Lio was decidedly fair, but the more Galo looked at him, the more he realized Lio was as elegant as a dancing flame. His eyes pastel infernos, his hair swirling and curling like smoke, his voice more soothing than a crackling hearth—everything about Lio made Galo want to jump headfirst into his embers and put it all out at once.

”Here, Galo,” Lucia slyly grabbed the cup out of his hands, “I can make his drink while you ring him up,” Her teal eyes twinkled with mischief as she wriggled the marker of his hand, skipping away, her bright, blonde buns bouncing to the rhythm of her unexplained excitement. Galo narrowed his eyes at her, but his mind still lingered on Lio, too distracted to notice her whipping out her phone and writing on the cup.

”Uh, thanks?” Galo shook his head, turning his attention to Lio. “Do you need a receipt?”

”No, thank you,” Lio responded as he took his card back from Galo, who noticed he deliberately took it back with the very tips of his fingers, avoiding his touch.

Lucia, who is normally the fastest team member, was taking her sweet time, whistling some odd tune as she carefully made Lio’s coffee. She gave Galo a cruel smile and a sly wink, moving in slow motion as she continued. Galo still didn’t know what her game was, and hated that he was forced to play along without knowing the rules.

Lio pulled out his phone while he waited, and Galo realized he’d been quiet for some time, the silence filling him with self-consciousness, a third first.

_Should I say something? I have to say something, right? I mean, I can’t just stand here staring at him. God, he is so beautiful. Okay, uh, compliment him on something. But what? I can’t just say I think he’s the most prettiest person I’ve ever seen in my life, can I?_

Galo’s turquoise eyes desperately scanned Lio, who was luckily still transfixed on his phone. He noticed Lio’s earrings, triangle-shaped black studs that hugged his ears nicely.

”I, uh, like your earrings,” Galo stammered. Lio looked up from his phone, his hand grabbing his ear lobe. He gave Galo a small half smile, locking his eyes with his again, daring him to say more.

”They’re really cool,” Galo continued, “they remind me of those plastic bread tie thingies that keep loaves of sliced bread closed.”

Lucia let out a shriek, which sounded awfully familiar to her laugh.

”Sorry! No need to worry, just burned my hand a little is all,” she giggled.

Lio’s eyes widened, his lips parting slightly. He stared at Galo before slanting his eyes again, which were brimming with fiery amusement. They drifted over to Galo’s broad shoulders, slowly memorizing them before shamelessly wandering to his large chest. They stopped there for a moment, and Galo could have sworn he was burning a hole in his heart.

_Oh man, is he sizing me up? Did I offend him? That was a stupid thing to say, why did I say that? Does he want to fight me, now? I kinda hope he wants to fight me… Wait, I don’t want to fight him! What is he doing?_

Lio let out a soft giggle, which made Galo flinch.

”Bread tie thingies, huh?” Lio fiddled with one of his earrings, twisting it in his long, lithe fingers. “I haven’t heard that one before. I kind of like it.” He gave Galo another half smile, who at this point was absolutely melting over hearing Lio’s warm, smooth voice form an extended sentence.

”Haha, yeah. Uh, so—”

”Galo, his coffee is ready,” Lucia interrupted. She handed Galo the beverage, and he immediately almost dropped it, his body feeling a little weak for reasons he wasn’t sure of.

”Oh, right,” he blushed, “here you go, Lio.” He outstretched his hand, waiting for Lio to take his drink. Lio paused for a moment before grabbing it, this time deliberately intertwining his fingers with Galo’s, who couldn’t bring himself to let go, or breathe, the warmth of those graceful fingers setting him on fire. Lio seemed to lean forward a bit, tugging a little at the cup of coffee, or more accurately, Galo’s hand. Those sunset eyes, not daring to break Galo’s gaze. Galo found himself starting to lean forward, his heels starting to leave the ground as he felt his torso hover over the counter, inching closer to Lio.

Exasperated, he let go of the cup, resulting in Lio’s lips forming a slight smirk.

”Thank you, Galo.” Lio turned on his heeled boots and headed for the door. Galo watched him saunter towards the exit, drinking in every single movement. He watched Lio bring his cup to his lips, unfazed by the heat of the coffee. Lio furrowed his eyebrows as he looked on the writing on the cup, a flicker of confusion twitching at the corner of his eye.

_Oh man, did Lucia mess up his drink? Misspell his name? Is it Leo instead of Lio?_

”Hey, did we get your drink right? Because we can remake it, if you want.”

Lio turned to face Galo, his eyes darting from his shoulders to his chest and then to his eyes. They lingered there for a long while, and Galo silently begged Lio not to leave.

”No, it’s perfect. Have a nice day, Galo.” Lio waved as he exited the shop, the sound of the bell rippling through Galo’s bones.

The air in the coffee shop seemed to chill as soon as Lio exited the building, the sudden cold underscored by the sudden silence. Galo needed to catch his breath. His eyes kept darting between each hipster-esque portrait that lined the beige walls of the coffee shop, unable to fixate on a single one. He placed his palms on the counter and shifted his weight onto them. Galo felt if he kept all of his weight on his legs, he would surely collapse. He didn’t understand why he felt so weak, why his breathing was so uneven, and he was positive he sweat right through his shirt.

Lucia’s voice cut right through him, like a sickeningly saccharine melody full of mischief slicing through a cacophonous quiet.

”That was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen with my eyes.”

”Shut up, Lucia,” Galo groaned.

\-----------------------------------

”And THEN he says, ‘_They look like bread ties,_’” Lucia cackled as she relayed all of the events that transpired during the early afternoon to Aina, much to Galo’s dismay. 

After Lio left, Aina returned from her restroom break, not fully admitting she may have fallen asleep a little. She walked back to a snickering Lucia and a mortified Galo, who quickly finished up his remaining work and darted out the door.

Now, the three of them were sprawled on Aina’s living room, gathered around a box of pizza. Galo always felt right at home sitting criss-crossed on her carpeted floor. Her place was small, but it adhered to a bright aesthetic Galo was always fond of—light wooden furniture accented nicely by the lush green of the house plants Heris mothered. Galo’s favorite part was the abundance of photos that dotted the walls and graced the tables, photos from when they were children to now, little reminders that he and Aina were never alone despite the tragedies of their parents.

”And to think I truly believed Galo had a moment of courage when Lio was egging him on,” Lucia sighed, “but alas, Galo freaked out and let go. A shame, really.”

”Wow, Galo. You’re not one to back down from a dare,” Aina took a bite of her pizza crust, “Lio must have really captured your heart. Although, he is very beautiful. I sometimes catch myself staring, too.” She gave Lucia a side glance, who in return, playfully propped her foot up on Aina’s shoulder. Aina quickly shooed it away, and Lucia laughed as she sat up and leaned her head on her shoulder. Galo couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if Lio rested his pretty head on his shoulders, the very shoulders that Lio made a point to check out.

”It really was a hilarious sight to behold, but luckily for Galo, that idiotic charm of his certainly had an effect on Lio.”

”Wait, Lucia, what do you mean?” Galo’s eyes widened at her, begging her to elaborate. She gave him a cheeky grin, and he could have sworn her teeth seemed a little sharper than normal. Lucia was always so impish in nature.

”Galo, did you really not notice Lio eyeing your torso like a lion stalking its next meal?”

”I thought he was sizing me up because I said that stupid thing about bread ties.”

Lucia and Aina began to cackle, but Galo’s thoughts muffled their laughter. Galo was not unaware of his stature, he knew he was nicely built and strong looking, but it was all out of necessity. He had to be in tip top shape in order to succeed as a firefighter. Speaking of which, Galo couldn’t bring himself to concentrate during his EMT class during the evening, his mind constantly drifting to the way Lio’s hair caressed his face, the way he stared at him with those unusual eyes, the way he uttered Galo’s name…

Galo let out a loud groan, “You really think he might be interested?”

”Shockingly, yes,” Lucia leaned forward and tugged at Galo’s blue mohawk, “even with this excuse of a hairstyle.”

”Hey, you’re one to talk!” he retorted.

The three of them fell into laughter, which helped Galo relax. He always looked forward to decompressing with Aina and Lucia after they all finished classes, even if they couldn’t meet up as often as they used to. Aina was studying to become a pilot while Lucia was knee deep in her mechanical engineer major. He may not have been the brightest bulb amongst the trio, but that didn’t matter, and Galo was beyond grateful.

”I guess you’ll find out tomorrow, then,” Aina gave his shoulder a reassuring pat.

”Yeah, I guess…”

\-----------------------------------

Somehow, Tuesday mornings were much busier than Monday mornings. Perhaps it was because people normally don’t start dragging their feet until Tuesday, or maybe it was because this particular Tuesday was much a much chillier day in Promepolis than the day before and more people yearned for a warm beverage. Either way, Galo didn’t have a minute to think about it. This morning, he was on coffee making duty while Aina manned the register. Remi thought it would be a good idea for Galo to sling beverages so he could learn to pick up the pace without messing up. So far, Galo was having a much easier time than the day before. Despite all the coffee grounds tucked under his fingernails, the occasional small sear on his skin from a splash of coffee, and the relentless influx of bodies charging in one after the other, Galo was having very little trouble keeping up. He kept himself on autopilot, knowing full well if he allowed his mind to wander on its own, it would drift too far and fall into a deliciously warm pit of fire, with pink and violet flames licking at his soul. 

”Uh, Bee-ayer?” Galo shouted as he held up one of the more complicated orders of the morning.

”It’s Biar!” The purple-haired customer from the day before barked, snatching her coffee from Galo’s hand like a bloodthirsty vulture.

”Sheesh, what a colossal—”

”Galo! I needed that matcha latte and americano yesterday,” Aina didn’t even have a second to look at Galo as she voiced her demands, keeping her charming smile as she took order after order.

”I’m on it!

After several, lighting fast hours passed, the crew finally had time to begin cleaning up for the afternoon buzz. Galo couldn’t peel his eyes off the front door while wiping down the countertops, his gaze fixed on the moving clouds drifting through the early afternoon sky, their wispy edges curling like smoke.

”You lookin’ for someone, bud?”

Galo jumped at the bass of Varys’ voice, who was grinning like a schoolboy, looking at Galo with a glint in his eye that looked way too much like Lucia’s influence.

”Shouldn’t you be on break with Remi right now?” Galo sighed as he ripped his eyes from the door to face a snickering Varys.

”I decided I’d rather not miss the show Lucia was telling me about.”

Galo rolled his eyes, “He may not even show up today.”

”Oh, but he’s an everyday regular,” Aina chirped with Lucia giggling in her shoulder.

”Come on, Aina. This isn’t like you. Don’t stoop to their level!”

”There’s no malicious intent here,” she winked, “it’s all just good fun.”

Galo’s groan was interrupted by the chiming of the bell, signaling a new customer entering the shop. Rather than wincing, the entire crew craned their necks to catch a glimpse of a slender figure gliding through the entrance. Galo couldn’t help but notice the chilly air that rushed in as the door opened seemed to dance around the figure, almost as if he was too warm to touch.

”Looks like you’re up,” Lucia whispered as she shoved Galo.

Galo stumbled towards the counter and was immediately met with Lio’s eyes burning into his own. He quickly avoided his gaze, trying his hardest to look anywhere but at Lio. However, they darted back to Lio’s hair, which today was tied in two small, messy ponytails, with even more strands of hair escaping to billow around his lovely face. He was wearing an oversized auburn sweater, which cut off right where his high-waisted jeans began, and judging by the sound of his footsteps, he was wearing the same heeled boots as the day before.

_He is...so cute. I don’t know if I can do this._

Galo strained his ears to listen for laughter from the crew behind him, who were all working remarkably slow. He could just make out a small huff of a giggle from Aina, which motivated him to meet Lio’s eyes once more.

Lio was already smiling, his eyes flickering with amusement.

”Good afternoon, Galo,” he placed his elbow on the higher part of the counter, resting his chin in his palm. Galo shuddered at the sound of his name, Lio’s voice engulfing every single one of his thoughts.

”Hey, Lio,” Galo somehow managed, “uh, large hazelnut latte with soy?”

Lio’s eyes narrowed and his smile slowly faded into a smirk, “Yes, thank you. It seems you already know me so well, and we’ve only met just yesterday. You’ve even memorized my name.”

”Uh, I guess I just have good memory?” Galo replied as a thought occurred to him, finally giving him the chance to justifiably smile, “you also remembered my name.”

”Did I? Or perhaps your nametag gave me a little help again,” Lio whipped out his card with his free hand, prompting Galo to take it. As Galo began to pull, Lio seemed to do the same, filling Galo with a confused sense of excitement. Lio finally let go, forcing Galo’s arm to reel back a bit, his face suddenly flushing with pink.

”Hey, Galo, I can make his drink for you again, you just worry about ringing him up,” Lucia slithered next to him, taking another large cup, bouncing back from where she came.

Once again, Galo struggled to find something, anything, to say to Lio, who this time was not preoccupied with his phone, but was rather staring at Galo’s shoulders again, almost like he was asking Galo to notice.

_Come on, Galo. Think! Think of literally anything to say! It can’t possibly be as dumb as the bread tie thing._

”So, do you get soy milk because you’re lactose intolerant or is it something else?”

Varys, Lucia, and Aina all suddenly began to cough uncontrollably, tears welling in their eyes as they tried desperately to stop. Galo felt his heart drop right into the pit of his stomach as he watched Lio’s reaction.

Lio’s eyebrows shot up quickly in surprise at Galo’s question, astonishment joining the amusement in his eyes. He dropped his elbow from the counter and covered his mouth, and soon Galo realized he was trying, and failing, to stifle a laugh. Tears began to form at the corners of his eyes, somehow adding fuel to their fire. 

”You are certainly a silly man,” Lio laughed, “to answer your question, no, I’m not lactose intolerant, at least not entirely. Regular dairy gives me a bit of a stomach ache and really, I just prefer the taste of soy milk.”

Galo breathed out a sigh a relief at the mercy of Lio’s answer, “Well, that’s—”

”His order is ready!” Lucia sang as she slid the hot coffee cup into Galo’s hand. He handed it over to Lio, who, much to Galo’s disappointment, did not intertwine his fingers with his. Still, their fingers did touch momentarily, and Galo briefly forgot what it was like to ever feel cold in the first place.

”Thank you, Galo,” Lio took a sip of his coffee, and Galo noticed his eyes glide over to his chest. He realized that Lio was waiting for him to do...something, anything.

_Come on, man! This is it, he is literally waiting for you._

All Galo could do was nervously drum his fingers on the counter, sweat dripping down his neck. He managed to keep eye contact with Lio, whose pastel infernos wavered, brimming with disappointment.

”Well, then, I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon. Thanks again,” Lio walked away from the register and out the door, the timing of the bell thunderous in Galo’s ears.

_Ah, shit._

”Oh no,” Lucia gasped, “I think I may have accidentally made his drink with regular milk instead of soy milk.”

”What!? Lucia!” Galo jumped over the counter and sprinted out the front door, failing to notice the open bottle of soy milk on the counter next to her.

The cold wind sliced at Galo’s unprotected arms and face, but he didn’t pay it any mind. His eyes scanned the sidewalk, left and right, until he could make out two small, blonde ponytails, faintly glowing pastel green in the sun.

”Lio!” Galo began to sprint towards him, shoving past disgruntled pedestrians, ignoring their cries. Lio turned to face him, a bewildered look spread across his face. Galo almost ran into Lio, somehow managing to stop his full on sprint right in front of him. He didn’t realize until that moment how much shorter Lio was, those wonderful, fiery eyes looking right up at him.

”I think we accidentally made your drink with regular milk, let me remake it.”

Lio raised an eyebrow at him and took a long sip from his coffee, “It tastes just fine,” he adjusted the sleeve so he could read the writing, “and it correctly says soy milk on here. It seems as if you’re mistaken.”

_Lucia…_

”Oh, well, that’s good!” Galo exclaimed. He scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to say next, a cold chill billowing between the two of them. He shuddered, wondering what in the hell he was doing out there in the first place. He noticed Lio standing very still, as if he was waiting there, expectedly.

Lio finally let out a long sigh, “Well, I’m off, then. See you tomorrow.” Lio turned around and began to walk away, and Galo felt as if all of his organs were going to slide out of him all at once. He couldn’t bear to watch this flame flicker out as Lio drifted further and further away.

”Lio, wait!” To Galo’s surprise, Lio did wait as Galo caught up to him again. He made sure to look directly into the center of Lio’s inferno.

”Do you maybe want to get something to eat sometime...maybe? I have a couple of days off this week,” the words flew out of Galo’s mouth almost as quickly as the warmth from Lio’s immediate smile filled his entire body.

Lio let out a loud laugh, the velvet embers of his voice causing Galo to smile.

”I was wondering how long it would take you to ask. Thankfully, not long at all. I was starting to think you were just a charming fool. Yes, I would like to get something to eat with you, Galo.”

Galo had to force himself to keep talking before his heart found itself lodged in his throat.

”Oh, great! I guess we should exchange numbers, then,” Galo was surprised to hear Lio laugh even louder. 

”Oh, I think I already have your number,” Lio took out his phone and turned the screen towards Galo, “this is it, no? I believe your friend with the buns tried to help you out yesterday.”

_Lucia…_

”Anyway, I’ll text you a date and time that works for me, you can pick the place,” Lio slipped his phone into his back pocket, gracing Galo with a bigger smile, all traces of amusement gone, replaced by sincerity.

”Yeah, sounds like a plan,” Galo subconsciously extended his hand. He was absolutely confused as to why he did, but was relieved to find Lio humoring him, giving him a warm, firm handshake.

”See you, Galo,” Lio turned and walked away, leaving Galo standing with his hand still outstretched. Another strong wind smacked right into him, slicing and dicing at his exposed skin. But Galo didn’t feel anything but unexplainable heat as whispers of a quiet, powerful flame fluttered throughout his entire body, causing him to grin from ear to ear. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lio and Galo finally go on their promised date, and as the afternoon rolls along, Lio finds it increasingly difficult to keep his composure as he becomes increasingly more enamored with Galo. But some guilt weighs heavy on his shoulders, and he's hesitant about how far this should go.

Lio tried to focus his attention on the click clack of his footsteps, the low rumble of the sky as the threat of rain lingered gray overhead, the sudden chill starting at his fingertips—anything to distract from his nerves, which were gnawing at every corner of his mind.

He wasn't sure why he was so nervous to see Galo. It's not like Lio hadn't visited the coffee shop every day since he agreed on grabbing something to eat with him. And each day, Galo was there with his coffee order ready as soon as he chimed through the door. Although Lio found it cute that Galo always had his coffee ready, he was also slightly disappointed that it shortened their interactions and limited how much Lio could egg him on, and did Lio love egging him on. The adrenaline of it all draped over him like a weighted blanket, muffling the everlasting cold he'd endured since he was a child. The way Galo choked after taking Lio in, and the painfully obvious shake in his voice when he asked for his name ignited something in Lio—a whimsical desire to humor the handsome man who seemed to be so taken with him.

And he was never nervous each time he interacted with Galo, at least not initially. He figured Galo would react the same way most of the men Lio has encountered in this way have—play along until Lio overwhelms them and they give up. He never really entertained the thought of pursuing anybody, he was much too busy with so much on his plate, goals and ambitions to see through. Still, he did enjoy challenging the occasional interested person to a game of chicken, they always backed down anyway. Lio may be slender, but he was aware of the intensity he gave off, and he always made sure to use it to his advantage.

Galo lost the game of chicken quickly. He backed away first when Lio purposefully intertwined their fingers and invited him to come a little closer. He clearly took notice of Lio's gaze, which wandered all over his broad shoulders and sculpted chest, and didn't know what to do. Galo was absolute putty in Lio's hands, it may have been the easiest game of chicken Lio had ever won.

But he didn't really win, did he?

There were several moments where Lio gathered he was in a bit of trouble. From when their fingertips first brushed against each other, sending a searing hot pulse through Lio's body which made him forget he was ever cold in the first place, to when he actually took the time to shamelessly take all of Galo in, Lio knew this was not going to go as expected.

But even before all of the egging and smoldering, Lio was already captivated with Galo as soon as he reached the register.

There was something different about the way Galo looked at him. Sure, there was an obvious attraction wading in the blue, but it wasn't at the forefront. No, the real glimmer in Galo's eyes was one of genuine curiosity, a yearning to learn more about Lio, to gently peel back the layers and see what kind of fire flickered inside. Lio may have unintentionally drawn Galo in, but now he found himself not wanting to let Galo wander too far, found himself imagining intertwining their fingers again, silently begging to feel warm again. It made him shudder just thinking about it. 

And Galo's hilariously horrendous way of flirting charmed Lio in a way he wasn't used to. Lio was used to be being compared to something delicate, soft, or fragile, like a daisy or a dove. It never moved him. He was always regarded as something beautiful and soft to be won, to be placed on display and looked at, like a bouquet of flowers left to dry out on a dusty counter. Even the few times Lio gave anyone a try, they’d all been the same—unsympathetic to his ambitions, some even mocked him for them, waving them away as they poorly showered him with more flowery, empty compliments. Of course, Lio noticed Galo’s gaze on him as soon as he walked through the door, but he didn’t look at him like a fragile bouquet. Rather, Galo seemed to regard his intensity as something to be reckoned with, something to admire and respect. That, coupled with Galo’s fumbled flirting attempts, pulled the rug from under Lio’s feet. Galo may have needed a little nudge from his friends to chase Lio out the door, but he chased him nonetheless, and the genuine ear-to-ear grin that immediately spread across his face when Lio agreed to go out with him made Lio’s chest erupt with a fiery excitement he wanted to continue to kindle.

He felt himself begin to blush as another rumble of thunder rippled through the sky. His fingers absentmindedly flew to his ear lobe, twisting his earring, perhaps in an attempt to calm his nerves.

_Breadclips, huh?_

As Lio turned the corner towards his destination, he was surprised to see Galo already standing in front of the pizza place with restless hands. Lio watched him put his hands in the pockets of red corduroys, only to take them out and cross his arms across his chest, only to then reach into his back pocket and check his phone, wishful determination rolling down the side of his face in the form of a bead of sweat.

Lio checked his own phone. He was already fifteen minutes early, and judging from Galo’s incessant pacing, he had already been there a while. Lio also realized he missed two texts from Galo, letting him know when he was on the way and when he had arrived, which was twenty minutes ago.

_Has he really been waiting around for over thirty minutes?___

_ __ _

_ __ _

Lio huffed out a quiet giggle followed by a sigh. He truly was in trouble.

”Galo,” he loudly exclaimed, waving a gloved hand.

Galo stopped pacing and turned to face Lio, a smile as big as the sun spreading across his face. He walked quickly towards Lio, practically skipping along the way. Lio clenched his hands into tight fists in the pockets of his leather jacket, a little overwhelmed by the simplicity of Galo’s excitement. He felt his cheeks flush with a little warmth, which was a very rare but very comforting occurrence. Lio couldn’t help but smile back.

_He’s...so cute…_

”Lio!” Galo firmly placed his hand on Lio’s shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. After realizing he left his hand there for a little too long, he quickly flung it into his pocket, his cheeks immediately reddening as he began to apologize.

”Sorry about that! I, uh, didn’t mean to leave my hand there for so long. You have really strong shoulders, by the way.”

Lio gave him a small smirk and narrowed his eyes. Truthfully, Galo gripping his shoulder with such strength was a nice change of pace. Too often, people tended to treat Lio with so much caution, as if he’d shatter if they touched him too hard. The reality was that although Lio was fairly slender, he was particularly strong, with lean muscles that have helped him hold his own before. It was nice to be treated this way, even if the gesture was small, especially by someone of Galo’s stature.

His grip left a searing heat on his shoulder. Lio placed his hand on the invisible handprint, caught off guard by how much warmth transferred over into his palm, blazing through his arm as it reached up towards his neck, danced over his cheeks, and finally rested at the tips of his ears. Lio was certainly grateful he decided to wear his hair down.

”It’s alright,” he laughed, “and thank you. That’s rich coming from you, though. What with your sculpted shoulders and all. You must be proud of them.” Lio reached up and placed his hand on Galo’s shoulder, immediately gripping onto his traps. Galo’s eyes widened and Lio could feel his body tense up, nerves skittering all over his shoulders.

”Uh, I-I’ve never really thought about it, I guess. Should I be proud of them?” Galo averted Lio’s smouldering eyes, which were begging him to meet them again.

Lio’s smirk widened and he let go of Galo’s shoulder, deciding to give the poor man a moment to relax...and to also give himself a moment to catch his breath. He would be lying if he said he may have bitten a little more than he could chew when he squeezed his traps.

”Yeah, you should,” he walked towards the outside tables of the pizza restaurant, “come on, let’s eat. I’m sure you’re starving after your morning shift.”

It was a humble place, only a few tables outside and inside, adorned with the classic red and white checked table tops. The smell of woodfire and pizza tickled Lio’s nose. There seemed to only be two men working, a younger gentleman tending to the baking pizzas and a much older man who recognized Galo immediately.

”If it isn’t my favorite customer! Have a seat, Galo,” the older man gestured toward an empty table and took notice of Lio. “Oh, this a new friend of yours?”

”Yeah! This is Lio, we met at the coffee shop a few days ago.”

”I see,” the older man met Lio’s eyes and they exchanged knowing glances, the man’s smile lines stretched out as he let out a laugh, “well Lio, I hope your appetite’s as big as Galo’s, he keeps me in business, after all.”

Lio couldn’t help but let out a hearty cackle as Galo’s face transitioned from slightly pink to full on scarlet, “I’m sure he does.”

”Yeah, yeah, can we just order already,” Galo frowned. He crossed his arms over his broad chest and began to impatiently shake his leg, presumably trying, and failing, to shake off any embarrassment.

”Sure, how many pizzas are ya ordering this time?”

Lio made sure to suppress his laugh this time as Galo’s face somehow managed to turn into a deeper shade of red.

_Cute…_

”Just _one_ margherita pizza, please,” Galo squeezed through gritted teeth.

”Are ya sharin’ with each other?”

”I’d like to share, if that’s alright with you, Galo,” Lio narrowed his eyes at him again, “we can always order more if you’d like.”

”Uh, yeah, I’m fine with that,” the red in his face began to slowly fade as the older man walked away. Lio took the opportunity to stare into Galo’s eyes, so impossibly turquoise, like deep sea glaciers he so furiously wanted to melt.

”Are you sure you want to eat here, Lio? I know you mentioned dairy does things to your stomach.”

”I’m positive. I’ll be okay, don’t worry about it. Besides, this was the first place you mentioned, so I figured it was a favorite of yours.” Lio placed his elbow on the table and held his head up with his chin propped on a closed fist. He smiled, “Do you really come here that often to keep his business afloat? How gallant.”

Galo let out a long sigh, which quickly turned into a loud laugh. “Yeah, I think I eat here at least twice a week, and when I hang out with Aina and Lucia, we always order it. But dude, this margherita pizza is this best! You’ll see once you try it, it really keeps my soul burning.”

Lio was finding it increasingly hard to peel his eyes away from Galo. The fact that a grown man could get this excited about pizza amused Lio, but it didn’t fill him with any kind of condescending amusement. No, in fact, Lio was enamored with Galo’s sincere simplicity. Galo may not have been the brightest bulb, but he carried himself with such honest enthusiasm, Lio found himself clinging on to every word, captivated by even such simple declarations because Galo truly meant everything he said.

_I need to know everything about him._

”And what else gets your soul burning?” Lio dropped his hand from the table and leaned back in his chair as the old man returned with glasses of water. He placed them down without saying a word, as if he couldn’t help his own curiosity, wondering how Galo could answer such a question.

”Huh?” Galo scratched his head, ruffling his blue mohawk. Lio diligently watched every strand, his eyes fixated on how they barely moved as a small huff of wind blew by, like dark blue icicles hanging on the edge of a tree branch. Lio wondered if he were to run his hands through that mohawk if it would feel as rigid as it looked or if it would simply melt to his touch.

”What else moves you as much as this pizza does? Does working at the coffee shop fuel your burning soul as well? Or perhaps you have loftier ambitions. What are your biggest dreams, Galo? Tell me what motivates you, what makes you tackle the day with such bright optimism, if you don’t mind, of course,” Lio watched as the gears began to turn in Galo’s head. He knew he asked a very loaded question, but he couldn’t help it. Galo could give him a lengthy response and it still probably wouldn’t be enough. Lio wanted to dig under his skin a little, because although Galo was simple, Lio wanted to return his curiosity. Galo may not have explicitly stated he wanted to explore Lio, but it was so blatantly clear in the glimmer of his eyes, that Lio decided to make the first move. His eyes traveled to Galo’s chest despite all of his efforts to keep them from drifting. He reached for his glass of water, carefully sipping until he had drank half the glass, grateful for the first time in his life that he had something cold to drink.

”Hmm, I guess I’d have to say becoming a firefighter,” Galo sat up straight and took a sip of water, his words settling into his mind as he thought about it a little more.

”Oh? That’s very brave of you. Why do you want to be a firefighter? Isn’t that profession dangerous, especially here in Promepolis?” It was true, Promepolis had a definite arsonist problem that culminated for years. However, it seemed to be dwindling due to increased funding in the fire departments as well as Lio’s own meddling. At least, that’s what Lio told himself to get the guilty twitch at the corner of his eyes to stop.

Galo sat up even straighter, every trace of embarrassment gone as his eyes transitioned from belonging to a childish man overly excited about pizza to belonging to someone with unwavering, powerful determination. Years of purpose and resolve swam in Galo’s eyes, and Lio couldn’t help but hold his breath, absolutely taken with Galo’s change in demeanor.

”When I was a kid, I lost my parents in a horrible fire,” Galo’s eyes intensified as he looked directly at Lio, “it was so random. I’m still not sure what caused it. Aina mentioned something about arsonists, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not looking for revenge, that doesn’t help anyone.” Sadness found its way into the sea of Galo’s resolve, but it stayed in the corner of his eye.

”I’m...so sorry, Galo,” Lio felt his chest tighten, felt his lungs fill with sand as the weight of Galo’s reality settled in. He didn’t dare avert his eyes away from Galo, admiration and guilt cementing them in place.

”Ah, it’s okay. I’ve made my peace with their passing, but that day changed my life. Well, obviously, but...I was rescued by a brave stranger. He didn’t have to run into a burning home of someone he didn’t know, but he did. He found me cowering in my room, scooped me up, and saved me. He stayed with me until the firefighters arrived. After that, he patted me on the shoulder and disappeared. To be honest, I don’t even remember what he looked like, it was so long ago, and that’s something I’ll feel guilty about forever, I think,” Galo relaxed his shoulders a bit and took another sip of water. Lio had to stop himself from grabbing his hand in midair. He wanted so badly to comfort Galo, but he quickly realized that simply listening to him was enough.

”Maybe one day you’ll encounter him again and you can thank him properly then.”

”You know, I don’t think I will,” Galo let out a heavy sigh, “call it intuition or whatever, but something in my soul says I’ll never see him again, which is one of the reasons why I want to become a firefighter. I feel like it’ll honor him in some way. Plus, I just want to help people. There are so many people in this city who are so...helpless, and I don’t mean in a bad way. I mean like, some people just need someone to scoop them out of burning building, you know? And not even just literally, figuratively, too. I want to be someone strong and reliable, someone people can trust without a single doubt in their mind. I want to save people the way I was saved, regardless of who they are, even if they’re strangers, because everyone deserves to be saved, or at least offered a little help,” Galo placed his hands behind his head, closed his eyes, and took a long, deep breath.

Lio was stunned to say the least. He was absolutely marveled by Galo’s honest pride, his genuine desire to simply help people. Lio had never met anyone whose ambitions matched his own, and for the first time in his life, Lio was truly smitten.

_Wow, he’s…_

”...incredible." 

Galo snapped back to reality and quickly opened his eyes, “Huh?”

Before Lio had a chance to answer, the old man returned to the table with their pizza. Galo clapped his hands, rubbing them together like a schoolboy.

”Alright, it’s about time! Lio, you’re not gonna believe how delicious this pizza is. It’s probably the best pizza in the whole world!”

”Galo, you’re gonna make me blush,” the old man chuckled, “careful Lio, he eats like a feral animal. You probably should’ve brought something to protect you from the splatter.”

”I think I’ll be okay, he can’t be _that_ messy,” Lio laughed as Galo’s eyes returned to their embarrassed state, a little bit of pink flushing his cheeks.

”Gah, whatever! I’m not even that bad. Let’s just eat,” Galo ripped a slice of the pie with the impatience of a hungry vulture.

The old man laughed and walked away. Galo was already halfway done with his first slice by the time Lio grabbed his own. He took a bite and was pleasantly surprised. It was _delicious._ Not that Lio had huge doubts, but Galo was certainly the type to hype up everything. But again, Galo meant everything he said, which meant that was definitely the best pizza Lio had ever had.

”So, whaddya think? It’s great, right?” Galo waited for Lio’s approval like a puppy waiting for a treat. Lio had to reward him with a smile.

”It’s pretty good, I’m glad I let you pick the place,” he took another bite as a large grin found its way onto Galo’s face. Lio felt his ears grow hot, remembering the scorching heat of Galo’s hand on his shoulder.

_Incredibly cute…_

”Ha! I knew you’d like it. No one can resist the soul burning power of this pizza,” in his excitement, Galo accidentally rubbed his leg against Lio’s. Even more pink trickled onto his cheeks as the realization of what just happened dawned on him. Lio decided to take advantage of his flustered state, slanting his eyes once more and throwing him another smirk. He pushed his leg into Galo’s, applying more pressure, rubbing the side of his calf up and down the side of Galo’s. He felt him tense up and watched as beads of sweat began to form on his forehead, one or two of them trickling down the side of his jaw. Lio couldn’t resist breathing out a very small laugh as Galo tried to gulp down his self-consciousness.

Galo quickly moved his leg away from Lio’s, “So, uh, what about you, Lio? Are you in school or anything? What do you do? What are your dreams?”

Lio’s smirk returned, “That’s a secret.”

”Oh, come on! I told you mine, at least give me something!”

”Hmph, alright,” Lio teased, “I used to be in school, but stopped going after a couple things came up,” he paused to take a bite of pizza, wondering just how much he should tell Galo.

Galo looked at Lio with just as much curiosity as he did the first time he ever saw him, ”What did you go to school for?”

Lio hesitated for a moment but eventually decided it was only fair, “I was a music major, I play piano. In fact, both of my jobs right now involve me playing in one way or another,” that was enough information for now, he decided.

Galo’s jaw dropped as his eyes widened to make room for the overwhelming amount of authentic awe diving in, “That’s awesome! You have to let me hear you play sometime, if that’s okay! Oh man, I bet you’re really good.”

Lio was forced to relent and allow his cheeks to flush with color. Normally, he wouldn’t have wavered under praise, but since it was coming from Galo, it made Lio’s entire body burn with such intensity he couldn’t help but silently ask for more.

”Maybe one day,” he picked up another slice, “for now, let’s eat the best pizza in the world.” Lio’s words made Galo giggle as he reached for another slice. That giggle rang in Lio’s ears, finding its way into his chest and filling him with even more warmth. Despite the chilly weather and Lio’s usual cold demeanor, he decided the afternoon was warm enough to take his leather jacket off and roll up the sleeves of his white chiffon shirt. He felt Galo’s eyes on him the whole time, taking in his nimble movements.

They ate in silence for a little while, well as silent as they could be. The old man wasn’t lying when he said Galo ate with the vigor of a feral animal. It was almost like a personal challenge, to see just how many bites of pizza he could possibly fit in his mouth before he gave himself a chance to breathe. Lio noticed several blots of pizza sauce dotting Galo’s face. He sighed as he scooted his chair right next to him, grabbing a napkin off the table.

”Are you always this messy when you eat?” Lio leaned in close and began to gently wipe the sauce off his face. Galo immediately froze in place and Lio took the opportunity to lean in even closer with every stain of red he wiped off. Soon, his face was so close to Galo’s, their noses were just centimeters apart. He put his hand down and lost himself in those endless eyes. He was also frozen in place, the both of them as still as statues, unsure of what to do with the sudden closeness as they breathed each other in. Lio decided Galo smelled like what could only be described as warm weather.

“Lio, I just realized,” Galo hovered right above Lio’s lips, “you smell like roses.”

Lio slowly pulled away, another first for him as he carefully repositioned himself on his chair, his hands gripping the sides. He side eyed Galo and observed him awkwardly sit back, confusion furrowing his brows.

”Erm, thank you,” Lio didn’t know what else to say. He was at a complete loss for words, unable to comprehend what happened. Actually, what happened was quite simple. However, what he couldn’t comprehend was why on earth he decided to pull away. He checked his phone and realized he had to start making his way to work.

”Hey Galo, I have to get going, my shift starts soon,” Lio looked up at him and felt a shiver creep over him as a shadow of disappointment was cast over Galo’s face, “I’m glad we spent some time together, we should do this again soon. How much do I owe you for the pizza?”

”Oh please, I got it! After all, I invited you, remember?” Galo reached into his pocket and pulled out some crinkled cash, trying his best to smooth it all out before leaving it on the table.

”Well, thank you. I’ll make sure to grab the bill next time,” Lio stood up and smiled at Galo, waving as he began to walk away, “I’ll text you soon, have a good night.”

”Bye, Lio…”

As Lio walked further away, he felt himself get colder and colder, forcing him to roll his sleeves back down and put on his jacket. He stared at the clouds as the tail end of the afternoon began to fade into the evening, the sun setting slowly over the skyline of Promepolis.

_Why did I pull away…?_

Lio’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heavy footfalls getting closer and closer. By the time he turned around, Galo had already grabbed his hand, prompting a wave of magma to crash down on top of him.

”Lio, wait!” Galo desperately hung on to Lio’s hand, as if he were terrified of letting him roam too far.

”Is everything ok—”

”I don’t want today to end!” Galo was absolutely exasperated. Lio had no idea how to react except to just let him finish, “I want to hear you play. I know you said some other time but...I just don’t want to leave you, at least not yet.”

Lio wanted to say no so badly. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to let Galo in on this part of his life, especially since this is the very first time they’ve gone out. But the longer he stared at Galo, the more his honesty melted him, and Lio wondered if he was ever going to have the strength to say no to this man.

”Okay, okay. Fine, you can come with me. I’ll give you a lift.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Galo and Lio's date tumbles into the night, the both of them quickly realizing just how powerful their feelings for each other truly are. Lio invites Galo into a very important part of his life, which quickly takes an unexpected turn.

_Holy shit. Is this...is this happening? Is this really happening? Wait, how is this happening?_

How indeed. Galo racked his brain trying to figure it out as Lio led them towards his ride, his hand firmly gripping Galo’s, melting them together. One minute, he was trying to get over the sheer embarrassment the pizza parlour owner put him through, the next minute he was laying himself bare, indulging Lio with his deepest passions without hesitation, then they were mere centimeters apart, a yearning flame flickering between their lips before Lio slowly put it out, and now they were holding hands as they walked towards their next destination, one that filled Galo’s chest with fiery anticipation. 

They remained quiet for a little bit, the only sounds coming from the random passerby, the clacking of Lio's boots, and the low rumble of thunder that rolled through the clouds. Galo stole a glance at Lio, who was staring straight ahead, hair bouncing with each step. For a brief moment, Galo considered running his fingers through it, just to see if it was just as soft as it looked, gentle strands of velvet he wanted to get lost in. Lio seemed to notice his stare and responded by gripping his hand a little tighter, delicately rubbing his thumb over Galo's knuckles. He was glad Lio was a half step ahead, unable to see the shade of red kissing the peaks of Galo's cheeks. 

"Sorry for oversharing," Galo broke the silence first, "I didn't mean to ramble on like that, especially about something so heavy even though this is the first...time we've hung out." _Date_ almost slipped out of his mouth, but considering what he was apologizing for, he didn't want to overwhelm Lio, even though he didn't seem like the type to be easily overwhelmed. Despite his slender frame, Galo bet Lio could get hit by a truck and come out unscathed. He was undeniable beauty and terrifying strength bundled together, like an all-encompassing wildfire you couldn't look away from. It drove Galo mad as Lio stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face him, the unusual violet of his eyes trying to burn straight through him.

"Please, don't apologize," Lio looked away briefly before returning his gaze, making Galo's chest ache slightly, "I shouldn't have asked you such a loaded question. I overstepped, forgive me, please. I am just...so curious about you." He readjusted their hands so their fingers intertwined, his long nimble fingers pillowed between Galo's. Galo couldn't decide between abruptly letting go or planting a small kiss on the back of Lio's hand. He opted for neither as Lio continued, "I won't ever bring it up, nor will I ask you to share anything personal anymore, if that's what you want." Lio's eyes were burning with apologies, practically begging to be forgiven. It made Galo tighten his grip reassuringly, softening whatever expression he was wearing. He never wanted Lio to look at him like that again.

_Argh! I gotta stop messing up. This is why he pulled away, probably._

"No, no! It's okay. Actually, I find it really easy to talk to you. I...trust you, already, I guess. I hope that's not weird," He scratched the back of his head and looked away, turning his stare towards the shifting sky, sunset ambers finally settling in and fading into a stormy evening.

_That...that is totally weird! Galo Thymos, what the hell are you even saying right now?_

To Galo's relief, Lio huffed out a small giggle. Galo shifted his eyes back to him and was met with warmth swirling in Lio's eyes and a smile that ignited every nerve in his body.

Lio inched closer and caressed Galo's reddening cheek, his touched leaving soft traces of heat that made Galo stiffen. He ran his fingers down the side until they reached Galo's chin, where he tilted his head downward and stood up on his toes until their lips were once again hovering centimeters apart.

"So, you trust me? Do you think that's such a good idea, Galo?" Lio teased as he slowly leaned in as close as he possibly could without touching their lips together, his warm breath forcing Galo's lips to part slightly. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of Galo's face and crashed into Lio's finger. His eyes narrowed waiting for Galo.

Galo tried to forced himself to move...something, _anything._ He still felt Lio's firm grip on his hand, his fingers drumming along the back of his palm. The sweet smell of roses was emanating from Lio, dancing into Galo's nostrils, filling his head. It was addicting. He tried to force small movements at first, but even his eyebrows were frozen in place.

_Shit...SHIT. What do I do? Do I...lean in? Do I kiss him? I so badly want to kiss him. Is he testing me? What is this? Dammit, move you idiot! He is so lovely and intimidating..._

And then, suddenly, it clicked and Galo regained some courage as he pressed his sweaty forehead into Lio's. He lingered there for a moment as a cold breeze whirled between them, slicing at his skin. It didn't matter how cold of a day it was or how utterly frozen in place he was, he allowed himself to be melted by Lio's stare. He smiled at him. 

"I'm not afraid of you, Lio."

Lio's eyes wavered at his words, but only for a moment.

"Good," he smirked as he removed his hand from Galo's chin and backed away, he tugged at their intertwined hands and motioned Galo forward, "come on, we're almost there."

As they turned another corner, confusion furrowed Galo's brows, "Hey, are we walking towards the lot on 8th? You know we could have taken a shorter way if we turned a couple blocks ago."

"I know," Lio answered slowly, "I wanted to take a longer route. Is that okay?" He walked a little closer to Galo, their elbows now touching every couple of steps.

"Oh, yeah, it's totally fine," he scratched his head again, looking for something to say. "So, what kind of music are you gonna be playing tonight?"

Lio smiled, "What kind of music do you think I play? You already know the instrument."

"Oh, uh, good question," Galo looked Lio up and down, taking in his leather jacket along with his matching leather pants. Leather belts adorned his thighs, squeezing them enough to make Galo flush three different colors. He forced his eyes away from them and directed them at his head, Lio's blonde hair still bouncing, brushing right above the nape of his neck, occasionally revealing those signature bread clip earrings.

"I gotta say heavy metal, or something like that," Galo answered, "you just, I don't know give off a powerful vibe, I guess."

Lio erupted into laughter, each melodic cackle caressing Galo's ear drums like rich velvet. It was contagious. Galo laughed along with him, hoping he would never stop.

"I tell you I play _piano_ and heavy metal is the first thing that comes to mind?" Lio snorted.

"What? Maybe you play some sick synth keys at this gig or something," Galo was blushing again, but not because he was embarrassed. Pure joy exploded out of his chest and licked its way throughout his body, right to the very tips of his fingers and toes. He couldn't stop staring at Lio, who was still giggling softly as they continued their walk, his cheeks and the tip of his nose painted pink from a mixture of his laughter and the cold. He would have almost been angelic had it not been for the fire in his eyes, radiating intensity.

_Man, is this guy even real? Is this whole thing even real?_

"So what kind of music _do_ you play, then?"

"Mmm, not telling."

"Huh!? Why not?"

"You'll see when we get there," Lio hummed, playfully sticking his tongue out at Galo, catching him by surprise with his silly gesture.

"Ah, fine! Have it your way," he squeezed Lio's hand again, who responded by rubbing his thumb over his knuckles once more.

For the rest of their walk, Lio prompted Galo on what kind of music he liked, to which he hesitantly responded with pop music and boy bands. As expected, Lio teased him relentlessly, both of them laughing over the loud claps of thunder.

They finally arrived at the lot, and Galo was stunned at the fact that Lio was tugging him towards the coolest motorcycle he had ever seen. It was an all black chopper, absolutely gleaming under the fluorescent lights of the lot. It was emblazoned with a pastel blue and purple dragon spitting fire, and the more Galo stared at it, the more it made sense.

"Lio, this is..._badass._"

Lio smirked, "Thank you, her name is Detroit. I love her dearly."

"Well, hell, I think I do too," they both laughed as Lio swung his leg over the seat.

He patted the space behind him, "Come on, Galo. I don't have any helmets with me because, well, I forgot, and I think that thick skull of yours will be okay if we crash. We won't, though. I promise."

"Yeah, yeah, if we die, I'm haunting you forever," Galo swung his leg over and sat behind Lio. Suddenly, he was overwhelmed with what to do with his hands. There wasn't exactly much to hold on to except the sides of the seat and Lio. He chose the former as Lio revved up his bike.

"Galo, you're going to have to hold on to me, you know. I don't exactly ride all that carefully."

"I think I'll be okay, thick skull, remember?"

Lio turned his head slightly, just enough so Galo could see the dare flickering in his eyes.

"I thought you said you weren't afraid of me."

Galo gulped as Lio turned away. It was even colder now that the sun had completely settled to make room for the moon. Even so, Galo was sweating, _a lot._ He let out a sigh, his breath curling white between him and Lio. He unclenched his hands from the seat and carefully placed them on Lio's hips, unsure of how much pressure he was supposed to apply.

"There, see? No fear."

"As if," Lio giggled as he grabbed Galo's arms and wrapped them around his waist, "I told you, I don't ride carefully."

The sudden press of his chest against Lio's back almost made Galo pass out. Lio was incredibly hot, countering every attempt of the lashing cold as more wind billowed through them. Galo could feel every intake of breath, every muscle along Lio's stomach as his hands and arms held on. Lio was like a pile of coal in a crackling fireplace, and each breath he took filled Galo with a frightening, yet comforting warmth he couldn't resist. He absentmindedly planted his cheek on his shoulder.

"Better. Are you ready, Galo?"

Galo couldn't help but nuzzle his cheek into Lio, his heart pounding harder and harder, more thunderous than the threatening rain up above.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

"Good," Lio began to turn out of the lot and paused at the last stop sign before turning onto the main road, "hold on tight."

"Yeah, I kno—," Galo didn't have time to finish his sentence as Lio slammed on the pedal and began to weave in and out of traffic like a fiery whirlwind. Galo immediately tightened his grip on Lio, trying his best to not shut his eyes in fear as Lio whipped through the city. Galo almost knocked on his own head to check just how thick his skull actually was, but his arms were cemented around Lio's waist.

After a couple minutes, Galo relaxed a little, taking in the flurry of colors of Promepolis as they fell behind them. The cold air seemed to whip around them, like it was avoiding the searing heat emanating off the two, like the day Lio first walked into the coffee shop. It would have been remarkable if Galo wasn't afraid he would fly off the bike at any moment. Lio seemed to sense this as Galo felt a giggle ripple through his back. He held on tighter and nuzzled his cheek deeper in response.

After about ten minutes of high-speed riding, Lio slowed as the colorful night lights of Promepolis began to dwindle. They were approaching a different part of the city, not quite belonging to the downtown area and not exactly the outskirts either. It was just as busy, but a little rundown. Some of the architecture was starting to crumble at the seams, and they even passed a couple of scorched buildings, burnt with no signs of life. Galo felt a little uncomfortable as Lio rode on. He had only been in this part of town once when he was hopelessly lost driving around looking for the coffee shop for his first interview. Aina and Lucia drove out there to direct him away as he followed them. They scolded him afterwards, reminding him that this part of town was where most of the arson took place.

"Hey, Lio," he hesitated as Lio tensed up at his words, no doubt hearing the apprehension in his voice, "are you in the right place?"

"I see you're still afraid despite your earlier declaration."

"I said I wasn't afraid of _you,_" he started, "and besides, I'm not exactly afraid, I just don't wanna get into a tussle with any of the bad folks lurking around. There are a lot of them here, you know."

"There are a lot of bad people everywhere," Lio answered as he made a sharp turn, jostling Galo for a moment, "there are people who get mugged and killed in the main downtown area as well. You think just because there are pretty lights over there it doesn't happen?"

"I mean, yeah, but it's more concentrated here, no? At least, that's what the news says."

"Hmph, I wonder why that is," unbridled fury creeped at the edges of Lio's words and Galo didn't know what to say. Lio felt rigid in his arms as he struggled to find the words.

"Y-you're right," he stammered, "there are bad people everywhere and it's not right for me to assume." He felt Lio relax as he let out a long sigh.

"I'm sorry for getting defensive, I'm just from here is all," he turned one last corner and Galo's chest ached again.

_He’s apologizing again. I'm really no good at this._

"Anyway," Lio continued, "we've arrived."

Galo lifted his head from Lio's shoulder for the first time since they rode out and looked at his surroundings. It wasn't as colorful as downtown Promepolis, but it was just as lively. Laughing bodies paraded the street as charming, golden lights lanterned above. There were a couple restaurants and shops lining the sidewalk, but the real attraction was the boisterous club at the end of the block. The words _Mad Burnish_ illuminated over the roof, cascading fluorescent yellow and pink lights onto the pavement.

"Lio, is that where you work?" he asked, exasperated.

"Yes, are you surprised?"

"Actually, no," and he wasn't. Somehow it all made sense. The leather, the bike, the neon building bustling with people. Galo thought about his question and wondered if anyone got the wrong impression of Lio. Although, Galo didn't understand how. To him, Lio was so obviously _powerful_.

They pulled into the lot behind the building, riding past the long line forming at the door. Lio parked Detroit and they both sat there for a moment, listening to the sky rumble and the muffled music escaping from the building. Galo realized he was still holding onto Lio and let go, stretching his arms upwards as he leaned back a little. Lio followed him, though. His back still pressed against him as he leaned into Galo, resting his head in the middle of his chest. Galo wondered if he could feel how hard his heart was thumping, rattling the inside of his chest.

Galo felt Lio look up at him, so he shifted his gaze downward, watching each strand of Lio’s bangs slither to side.

”Galo, is this okay? I know I’ve been moving a little quickly. There’s something so warm about you, so comforting, I can’t help it. It feels like I’ve known you my whole life. But if I’m rushing you, please tell me. I will continue at your pace,” Lio turned his head back down so it was once again resting on Galo’s chest.

The wave of joy, relief, and fear that crashed into Galo felt like a thousand stars exploding all at once.

_So, this is real. He is real. Wow._

Galo placed his chin on Lio’s head. He felt him relax even more into his chest, their breathing gradually going up and down in sync.

”I feel the same way you do, Lio. I can’t explain why, but something about you just feels right, even if we’ve only known each other for a short amount of time, and…” Galo trailed off as he realized Lio was shivering a bit. In fact, it finally dawned on Galo that Lio may have been shivering the entire time. Galo was surprised, it wasn’t _that_ cold outside. Although, he’d always been a bit of a human furnace, he didn’t even zip his jacket closed that day.

He took the sides of his large jacket and wrapped it around Lio, keeping his arms wrapped around him as well. The shivering stopped as Lio seemed to melt even further into Galo, settling in as if he’d done this a thousand times.

”I didn’t realize you get cold so easily, is that better?”

”Yes, thank you,” Lio quietly hummed before his breathing slowed and Galo noticed his eyelashes fluttering shut.

”Hey Lio, you’re not falling asleep are you? Don’t you have to play tonight? Speaking of which, shouldn’t we go inside? Aren’t you running late?”

”I’m just resting my eyes. Besides, can’t you hear the music? That band is still playing, and from the sound of the crowd, it would seem we have a little bit of time before I need to make an appearance. And…” Lio somehow managed to sink even further into Galo’s chest, like they had become one perfect unit, “I’d like to stay in this moment for a little while longer.”

"So do I," Galo closed his eyes and breathed in the smell of roses along with the promise of rain. They sat quietly for a moment, their breathing slowing down as they began to doze off, the muffled music gradually becoming harder and harder to hear.

Galo felt Lio shift slightly as another gust of cold air passed by, causing him to slowly open his eyes, Lio's blonde hair swirling in front of them. He had half a mind to kiss the top of his head, but decided against it as the singeing realization that he was a little afraid settled onto his shoulders. He huffed out a small breath through his nostrils.

"Galo, do you even drink coffee?"

Galo's eyes widened, confused, "Huh?"

"Sorry," Lio laughed, "I was just wondering. You work so many hours at the coffee shop, but any time we've been there at the same time, I've never seen you drink any of it. I noticed your friends taking sips in between working all the time, but not you."

"Uh, well, not really. I'm not a big fan of the taste, but I drink it when I know I'll be studying later than usual. The caffeine makes me a little hyper, and I crash super hard afterwards," Galo was still bewildered at the simplicity of his question, "is that what's on your mind right now?"

Lio snorted, "You're like a child, but it's endearing. Also," he paused for a moment as he swung one of his legs over his bike so he was sitting sideways. He snaked his arms around Galo's waist, burying the side of his cheek and nose into his chest. He was still wrapped in Galo's arms, who couldn't help but hold him a little tighter, "you're on my mind. You've _been_ on my mind for the last couple days."

_If I got struck by lightning right now, I wouldn't even be mad._

Galo lifted his chin from Lio's head, who in turn looked up to face him, yearning blazing through the violet and carnation in his eyes. Galo's cheeks flushed scarlet as he maintained eye contact, trying desperately to summon the courage to answer that yearning.

_Just...lean down. Just do it, idiot!_

He began to lean forward, Lio's eyes slowly shutting in anticipation, his cheeks kissed pink.

"Lio–" he started before a cold drop of rain splashed onto Lio's forehead. Another drop followed, and then another, until suddenly it was pouring and they were scrambling off the bike and hurrying towards the back door of the club, laughing the whole way.

Galo was blasted with a rush of warm air as they entered the club. Since they ran in through the back door, Lio led him through a dark hall, passing by the bathrooms as well as the kitchen. Once they turned the corner, Galo let out a gasp.

It felt much bigger on the inside. Round tables were scattered throughout, each one of them adorned with candles, providing a warm glow that hung heavy in the air. There was a bar to their right, where two bartenders were mixing drinks, and to their left, a large stage where a jazz band was playing, with a crowd of people dancing in front. The liveliness of it all served as a catalyst for Galo's excitement, who couldn't help but laugh.

"Lio, this is a rad jazz club! Wait," he turned to look at Lio, who was already smirking when he met his gaze, "you play _jazz?_ That's so cool!"

"Your context clues skills are off the charts," he grabbed hold of Galo's hand, "come on, let's get you a drink."

He led him towards the bar, where they promptly planted themselves on the last two available barstools. They were approached by a pretty woman behind the black marble counter, the soft glow of the club illuminating her brown skin. She tossed her soft, brown hair over her shoulder, greeting them warmly with eyes like sea glass.

"Hey Lio! Gueira and Meis have been looking all over for you. I told them to relax since those guys are still playing, but you know how they get when it comes to you," she turned her gaze to Galo and narrowed her eyes knowingly, "and who is this handsome man?" Galo blushed at her compliment.

"I told them I might be running late, they're always worrying," Lio sighed, "anyway, this is Galo. We had a lunch date earlier and he wanted to hear me play tonight. Galo, this is Thyma, she's going to play with me along with my two roommates. She's the coolest drummer in all of Promepolis." 

_Date..._

"Nice to meet you," Galo extended his hand for a handshake and Thyma giggled as she took it.

"Oh, I see you've found yourself gentleman," she smiled, "I'm assuming you'll have the usual, Lio. And what about you, Galo? What would you like to drink?"

"Uh, I'll take a Corona with lime, thanks!"

"Sure thing, I'll be right back," Thyma sauntered off towards a different part of the bar as another patron grabbed her attention.

"So, you won't drink coffee but you'll drink a Corona with lime? You have some interesting standards," Lio sneakily placed his left hand on Galo's thigh, causing him to almost kick a hole beneath the bar.

"H-hey! What's wrong with Corona?" Galo worked up the courage to wrap his arm around Lio's waist, who leaned into his touch.

Lio's laugh was interrupted by a large shout that reverberated off the walls of the club.

"Oy! Just who the _hell_ do you think are?"

Galo heard Lio curse under his breath. They barely had time to turn around before someone ripped Galo's arm off Lio.

"You ever heard of keeping your hands to yourself!?" The stranger was face to face with Galo, his breathing uneven with anger. He had fluffy red hair with eyes to match, a tattoo pressed right above his tan collarbone. He was accompanied by another man, who was just a little taller, navy hair cascading over his shoulder like a waterfall, glaring at Galo with dark eyes, arms folded, one of them also pressed with a similar tattoo.

"Gueira, I texted you and said I was bringing along my lunch date, so you can stop being so rude now," Lio looked at Galo apologetically, "I'm really sorry, Galo. This is one of my roommates, Gueira, and the man standing next to him who should really _stop_ staring daggers into you is Meis, his husband, as well as my other roommate. We'll all be performing together."

"Oh, well, it's nice t—"

Gueira slapped Galo's handshake offering out of the way and firmly pressed his finger into his chest, "Yeah, yeah, listen bud, you better not be trying anything funny with Lio. He's like a brother to me and—"

"Gueira!” Lio shouted. It was the second time Galo heard Lio sound so angry. It made him shudder. He shot his hands up in surrender.

"No funny business here! See, my hands are empty," Galo wasn't sure why he was trying to inject any kind of humor in this situation.

"Galo, don't listen to him. They're just being overprotective," he shot Gueira and Meis a devastating glare, one filled with a raging firestorm that made them soften their expressions, "they're _always_ being overprotective."

"It seems as if I've returned at the perfect time," Thyma's cheery voice cut through the tension as she placed their drinks in front of them. Galo was glad to have any excuse to do something with his sweaty hands while Lio knocked back his drink in a matter of seconds.

"Lio, you were supposed to be here a while ago," Meis turned to Lio, his eyes brimming with frustration, "these guys are gonna be done in about ten minutes and we haven't even rehearsed."

"We'll be fine, it's not like we've ever messed up a set before."

"Can we at least warm up a bit before performing?" Meis pleaded. Lio rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. Gueira was still fuming a little at Galo, who suddenly realized he had chugged his whole beer.

"Come on, Lio. We probably should, at least a little," Thyma chirped.

Lio rubbed his temples in defeat, "fine, let's go," he turned to face Galo, his eyes softening immediately, not unlike magma. Galo thought he would melt right then and there, "Galo, stay here. I'll be back, but not for a little while," he paused, "you don't have to...but please stay with me."

Galo placed a reassuring hand on Lio's cheek, relishing in the warmth of it all, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Oy! Hands!"

Galo shot his hands up in defeat again, "Yeah! Hands! Sorry!"

Gueira, Meis, and Lio cackled as Lio jumped off his barstool and looped his arms through theirs, sandwiching himself between the two. They walked away and Galo couldn't peel his eyes off Lio's blonde hair, delicately bouncing as the three of them navigated through the crowd and finally disappeared through the hallway Galo and Lio originally emerged from.

"Love bug, can you grab Galo another drink? I'll be back later!" Thyma planted a kiss on the other bartender's cheek before she skipped away. Galo turned to face him and realized it was the same young man who worked at the pizza parlor.

"Oh hey! I didn't know you worked here, too."

"Yeah. The old man pays me well, but I just feel a little more comfortable here. Plus, I get to hang out with Thyma. So, Corona with lime, right?"

"Yes, thanks!" Galo exclaimed as he turned towards the hallway, desperately hoping he would see a blonde head of hair turn the corner.

He felt eyes on him and realized the bartender was staring at him, arms crossed and face smug.

"You’re head over heels for Lio, aren’t you?" he smirked. 

"Ah, shut up!" Galo huffed as the man laughed and walked away. Galo looked back at the hallway entrance as the current band finished playing and announced another group would perform in ten minutes. He turned his head to look at the stage, his eyes honing in on the empty piano, excitement burning all throughout his body.

_Well, damn._

\-----------------

Lio readjusted his gloves while Gueira and Meis tended to their instruments, Thyma absentmindedly drumming her sticks on the small vanity she was sitting at. They were in a small room behind the stage. It was a cramped space with a couple vanities shoved against the walls and small, pillowy seats scattered about. There was a rack full of clothes Lio pushed aside to get to the mini fridge in the corner. He reached for the bourbon in the back and took a small swig, shuddering as he felt the burn tingle his lips.

”You nervous, Lio?” Meis asked while he fumbled around with his cello, turning the knobs and strumming as he glanced over at him.

”Hmph, when have I ever been nervous? I’m just warming up a bit, it’s cold.”

”You seemed cozy snuggling up with your new _friend_ out there in the parking lot,” Gueira teased as Meis and Thyma began to snicker.

Lio whipped his head at Gueira, who recoiled from the absolute inferno raging in Lio’s eyes.

Lio could feel his fury raging inside him, screaming to be released as it all blazed within. He glanced around the room and immediately softened when he took note of the fear plastered on everyone else’s faces. He frowned with guilt and took a deep breath, relaxing his entire body and counting to three before continuing.

”So, you guys saw that,” a smile began to tug at the corner of his lips as he remembered Galo’s arms wrapped around him, “I guess there’s no use in trying to brush it off as nothing.”

”Definitely not,” Meis looked up and propped his cello on its stand, “I’ve never seen you look at anyone like that before. You’re really smitten by that fool, aren’t you?”

”So what?” Lio scoffed as he playfully shoved Meis, “And he’s not a fool, don’t say that. He’s...a little simple, but that doesn’t mean he’s not full of depth.”

”I like him!” Gueira exclaimed as he sat down and began to polish his saxophone, “I can tell he’s got some guts.”

”You only like him because he’s just as much of an idiot as you are, babe.”

”Hey,” Gueira protested, “that’s not true! And aren’t you supposed to be on my side?”

Meis laughed as he bent down to kiss his husband. Lio couldn’t help but feel a little envy burning in his chest. He placed his hand on the cheek Galo caressed before they separated at the bar, leaning into it as he remembered the warmth.

”From the way you were grilling him, I thought you were going to fight him on sight,” Thyma chimed.

”Nah, I was just testing him. If he can’t handle a little heat from me, there’s no way he could handle Lio, who can kick all our asses with one hand.”

”Ugh, you’re incorrigible,” Lio threw one of the chair pillows at Gueira. It barely missed and hit Meis in the face instead. The four of them erupted into laughter, tears welling at the corners of Lio’s eyes as he allowed himself to lose a little control in front of his friends.

Thyma stood up and gently placed a hand on Lio’s shoulder, concern reflecting off her glassy eyes.

”Lio,” she started, “I know you’re very enamored with that man, and I can see why. He seems very honest, and I can tell he admires you from the way he looks at you. But,” she squeezed his shoulder, “do you think you’ll be able to return that honesty? Will you let him in? Does he...know?”

Gueira and Meis froze at her question as Lio thoughtfully ran his hand through his hair, her words lashing out at his brain like icy daggers.

_He knows everything he needs to know, for now. I don’t want him to run away._

”Didn’t you guys drag me back here to warm up? We have to go out there, like, now.”

Gueira smiled, “Ah come on, when have we ever messed up a set? Let’s get to it.” He jumped up and barreled out the door towards the stage, his sax tucked under his arm. Meis wasn’t far behind as he lugged his cello through the door.

Thyma and Lio lingered as she slowly removed her hand from his shoulder and placed it on his cheek, her eyes taming his sunset infernos.

”Lio dear, you know you’ll have to tell him sometime. Sooner rather than later would be best.”

Lio placed his hand on hers, trembling at her tenderness, “I know, I know. I’m just…”

”It’s okay to be afraid, this is all uncharted territory for you, and it’s not like your past is an easy one. But that man already cares so much about you, and you care so much about him. Trust him, and more importantly, trust yourself.”

”Thyma…” Lio started to feel tears pooling at the edges of his eyes, his eyelashes dampening with each blink. Thyma moved her hand from his cheek to tilt his head upwards.

”Keep your chin up, Lio. You’ll be okay. Now come, we have a long night ahead,” she extended her hand and he accepted it, wiping his tears away with the back of his free one. She led him through the door, walking the couple steps towards the curtain behind the stage. They paused there, stealing another moment. Lio took the opportunity to center himself, taking deep breaths and cracking his fingers.

”Alright, let’s go.”

Lio brushed the curtain aside and squinted as the stage lights pierced right into his irises. After rubbing his eyes, he approached the piano, brushing his hand across the keys, his fingers shaking with anticipation. He craned his neck to the right and was met with a warm smile from Thyma, already seated at the drums. Gueira was on the other side of the stage while Meis took hold of his cello somewhere in the middle. They both nodded at him as they met his gaze.

Lio finally sat down on the piano bench, forcing himself to be gentle as he tested a few keys, listening to the tune. His fingers ached in protest, begging to crash full force into the instrument.

_Relax, just one more minute or two and then we'll begin._

The crowd quieted to a murmur as each of them spent a minute playing a few notes on their instruments. Lio looked over the patrons of the club, scanning along the bar until he met Galo's eyes, illuminating icy azure as he smiled and waved at him. Lio felt his body relax, flexing his palm, open and close, the aching burning away for a small, brief moment.

Thyma began the count and Lio closed his eyes. As soon as it was time for them to begin their first song, Lio's long, lithe fingers pummeled into the keys, shoving them down. They flittered over the black and white landscape of the piano, the force of Lio's touch not matching the smooth melody ringing velvet in the air.

His emotions were at the forefront of his mind, everything else at the back, just present enough to where Lio wouldn't fall behind. It was all mainly fury and melancholy igniting each note as Lio deliberately slammed his fingers, each one tumbling over the other, a blazing crescendo of emotion breathing fire from the piano as well as his chest. He kept his eyes shut tight as he imagined what he always imagined when he played—the raging dragon emblazoned on his bike ravaging the entirety of Promepolis, laying everything in its warpath to waste.

He imagined buildings crumbling, crashing to the ground as the only pretty lights flickering throughout the carnage were the pastel blues and purples of the dragon's fiery fury. Each aggressive pounding of the key fueling the heat of his imagination as it burned the city to the ground. Lio felt his anger and hurt well behind his eyelids, the intensity of betrayal forcing him to hunch his shoulders and slightly lift himself up from his seat, his body just barely hovering over the leather.

_You've never cried while playing before and you're not going to start now, especially not in front of Galo..._

Galo. Lio didn't realize he briefly forgot Galo was even there, that he asked him to stay with him as he played. Lio opened his eyes, the first time he opened them during a performance in years. He quickly looked towards the bar, his heart catching fire as he found Galo once again.

He was standing next to the marble counter of the bar, arms slack at his side, mouth agape with a big smile. His cheeks flushed as he realized Lio was looking at him, eyes gleaming cerulean, swimming with absolute admiration and wonder. His smile grew even larger as he cheered over the dancing crowd, calling Lio's name.

Lio smiled back, his entire body relaxing as he found himself fully seated again. His fingers were no longer lashing out aggressively, but gliding over the keys with the finesse of a ballerina. Lio looked over at Gueira and Meis, who were both gawking at his relaxed state. But they both quickly smiled excitedly at him, glad to see him replace his anger and sadness over everything that's happened to him with soft gratitude for the tall, blue-haired man who looked at him like he burned with the intensity of one million stars.

The four of them played their whole set, Lio relishing every moment, happy to finally see the crowd react to their talent and witness the passion in Meis', Gueira's, and Thyma's eyes. For the first time in a long time, Lio was absolutely beside himself with joy, stealing glances over at Galo often, whose wonder never wavered, not even once, as a couple hours passed by.

Lio rushed off the stage as soon as they finished, not even staying for the round of applause. He jogged through the hallway, apologizing to the next bundle of performers as he haphazardly brushed passed them. He emerged from the hallway, and his frantic eyes found him immediately. Galo was looking for him too, their eyes locking each other in place for a moment, deep sea glaciers crashing into sunset infernos.

Lio shoved passed the crowd, his hips colliding with the edges of a couple tables, but he didn't feel any of it. His only focus was Galo, closing in on the magnetic force pulling them together, each huffing of his breath propelling him forward.

"Lio! That was—" before Galo could finish, Lio leaped into him, wrapping his arms around his neck. He felt Galo shudder in surprise, catching Lio around the waist before they fell backwards, the toes of his boots barely touching the floor.

Lio nudged his face into Galo's neck, deciding he still smelled like warm weather, a warm afternoon. He looked at to see Thyma and her boyfriend impishly looking at him from behind the bar. They both gave him a reassuring wink.

He felt Galo exhale and realized he'd been holding his breath the whole time. Lio couldn't help but giggle as he moved his head to look up at Galo. He accidentally brushed his nose against Galo's, both of them burning scarlet at the soft unexpected touch. Lio laced his fingers through Galo's hair. He was glad his suspicions were correct, it did melt to his touch. Lio could feel the plush softness through his gloves.

_Do not pull away, do not run away. He trusts you._

"Lio, you were amazing. I felt like I was under some kind of spell," Galo's warm breath huffed over Lio's lips, the smell of alcohol intoxicated him like ambrosia. Both of them leaned forward a bit, eyes half closed, "you're so breathtaking."

"Hands!" Gueira's voice scrambled them apart.

"Gueira! Are you serious? Are you really being serious right now?" Lio seethed through gritted teeth.

"Excuse me for wanting to spend time with my best friend after we just performed the smoothest, cleanest set ever," Gueria laughed, "and when am I ever serious?"

"You're too much sometimes," Meis creeped up behind Gueira and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, letting them hang in front of his torso, "but he's right, Lio. This is the first time we've seen you so elated to play with us. We almost cried in the back. We could absolutely get used to you playing like that more often."

"Really? You guys...thank you. I suppose," Lio paused to look up at Galo, who shot him a large, toothy grin, "I'm feeling better about things."

"We can tell," Meis continued, his stormy eyes darting between Lio and Galo, "let's drink to it, then."

"Hell yeah!" Galo and Gueira exclaimed at the same time, Lio and Meis cackling as both of them looked away embarrassed.

The four of them sat at the bar for another hour and a half, laughing and teasing each other as the night rolled on, clinking drink after drink in celebration of a perfect performance.

"You know WHAT, Galo," Gueira slurred, "you're a pretty NEAT guy. I can see why Lio has the hots for you."

Lio balled up a fist and punched him in the arm, causing him to fall into Meis, who caught him laughing.

"Meis," Thyma giggled, "I think it's time you take your unruly husband home."

Meis stood up and grabbed Gueira, slinging his arm over his shoulders to prop him up as they walked, "Yeah, we'll get going, then," he gave Galo a steely stare, which softened into appreciation, "I'm glad to have finally met you, Galo. Make sure Lio gets home safe."

"Oh, definitely! You guys are great," Galo waved as Meis walked away. Gueira muttered something that sounded like goodbye before drabbling on about the time he lived in Miami. They disappeared into the hall leading to the lot.

"Well boys, my shift is coming to an end. Galo," Thyma graced him with a charming smile, "protect our little firecracker, will you?"

"I can take care of myself," a small huff of frustration escaping Lio's lips. He sighed and reached over to grab Thyma's hand, "but thank you, Thyma."

She gave them one last smile before wishing them a good night and walking off. Lio took their moment of solitude to rest his head on Galo's shoulder, slowly closing his eyes as he basked in the warmth of his touch.

"I don't want this night to end just yet."

"How the tables have turned," Galo laughed. He wrapped his arm around Lio, the fiery electricity of his gesture making him shiver, "I don't want this night to end, either."

Lio sighed in relief, "Would you like to go on another walk, then?"

"Uh, yeah! But is it still raining?"

"I suppose we'll find out."

The pair walk through the front doors of the club, icy winds immediately lashing out as they braced themselves against each other, entwining their hands together. To their relief, it stopped raining, the ghost of the storm dripping off the roofs of the buildings, pitter pattering onto the puddles dotting the sidewalks.

They began to walk down the block, Lio swinging their held hands slightly as they made silly small talk. The amber glow of the lanterns hanging above illuminated their path and Lio couldn’t help but laugh as he felt his face get hot at the thought of the two of them taking a walk down a dimly lit block during a cold evening.

_Can’t believe I’ve truly turned into a romantic._

He glanced over at Galo, whose cheeks were flushed from a mixture of the alcohol, the cold, and presumably from spending time with Lio.

Lio reached up and ruffled his mohawk, “So how long does it take you to do your hair?”

”Hey now,” Galo giggled as he gently swatted Lio’s hand away before fixing his hair, “it takes a lot of skill to sculpt a masterpiece.”

”Oh, a masterpiece, huh?” Lio made sure Galo watched him eye him up and down, letting go of his hand as he slid his arm around Galo’s waist, drumming his fingers on the side of his abs, “I think there are other sculpted parts of you that make you a work of art besides your hair.”

”Uh, well, I uh,” while Galo struggled to find the words, Lio settled even closer into his side, prompting Galo to wrap his arm around his shoulders, tending to the flame that engulfed them, “you’re really something, Lio.”

”So I’ve been told.”

Their ensuing laughter was interrupted as Thyma ran out in front of them, emerging out of breath from a nearby alley.

”Thyma, is everything okay?” Concern ripped Lio from Galo’s hold as he approached Thyma, her sea glass eyes shattering with alarm.

”Lio, it’s Jay, he’s…” she glanced over at Galo before carefully continuing, “he’s looking for houses. Apparently he’s been boasting about how he waited for the rain to stop before he...started.”

”Dammit,” Lio snarled, “Dammit! Thyma, can you take Galo home?” He turned to face Galo, confusion wrinkling every part of his face. Lio felt his chest ache, “Galo, I’m sorry but—”

”No, absolutely not!”

Lio and Thyma stared at him, bewildered.

”I don’t know what’s going on, but I can tell it’s serious, and I’m not gonna let you go off on your own to deal with it,” he grabbed hold of Lio’s hands, “please let me stay with you.”

_Say no._

”Ugh, fine! Thyma,” he begrudgingly let go of Galo, desperately wishing he could continue to warm his fingers in his hands, “where is he...looking?”

”He’s over on 52nd.”

”Thank you. Let’s go, Galo.”

Lio began to sprint down the block, Galo’s heavy footfalls not far behind. 52nd was close, but Lio refused to waste any more time, urging his legs to move faster, cold water splashing at his ankles while his breath puffed white.

_Jay, please, let me save you._

They only ran for a few minutes, but the amount of twists and turns they had to make coupled with the full force sprint of their burning legs tired them out by the time they reached 52nd. They turned down one more alley before spilling out into a small courtyard lined with abandoned buildings. A figure was silhouetted against one of them, emptying a red canteen onto the pavement. The smell of gasoline smacked Lio across his face and made his eyes water, his fingers began to tremble a little.

"Lio , do you sme—" Lio quieted Galo by holding up a finger. He then motioned for him to follow as they slowly approached the figure, who smashed the canteen through a window of one of the buildings. At the sound of Lio's clacking, he whipped his head to face them. His shoulders relaxed as he recognized Lio, a malevolent smirk formed as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his denim jacket.

"Jay, what are you doing?" Lio and Jay were now only a few feet apart, standing in the spotlight of the single fluorescent lamp illuminating the area, white light clashing with Jay's short black hair. He was a few inches taller than Lio, but that didn't stop Lio from burning his eyes right into his milky gray ones.

"Hmph, what does it look like I'm doing, dumbass?" He stepped closer to Lio, underscoring their height difference as he looked down at him. Lio simply crossed his arms, not daring to look away.

"Hey, don't call him a dumbass, dumbass!" Galo began to march towards Jay, who began to cackle as Lio shot his arm out in front of Galo, stopping him from getting any closer.

"So, did your other two bodyguards finally ditch you? Did they finally get tired of you sticking your damned nose where it doesn't belong," he gave Galo a once over, his eyes turning to steel as he sized him up, "this guy looks like an even bigger idiot than the other two, and he's obviously not from this side of town," he shifted his glare back at Lio, "I thought you had _some_ kind of standards, but I guess nosy dumbasses attract other dumbasses."

Lio balled his hands into fists as he felt every nerve in his body erupt, magma waiting to spill through his lips as he kept his stare steady. He scanned those hazy eyes, desperately looking for any sort of humanity he could grab hold of. He finally found it, a small glint of anger manifested by the confusion of a teenager. He felt himself relax.

"Jay, why are you doing this? A lot of the homeless use these abandoned buildings for refuge," he paused before continuing, making sure to inject just the right amount of heat in his next words, "and people like us. Some of them are probably sleeping in there right now."

Jay scoffed, "Don't lump us together, Lio. You and I are not the same. You're the one who decided to turn your back on most of the folks here once that old man snitched on you," Jay spat on the ground, "now you're parading around like some kind of hero trying to clean everyone up just because you decided to forgive this shitty city, which by the way, doesn't give a damn about the people supposedly sleeping in those buildings and neither do I."

"Don't lie to yourself," Lio folded his arms. "you care as much about the people here as I do. So what are you doing? You're smarter than this, _much_ smarter than this. You can go back to school, you know. Isn't that what your brother wanted for you?"

As a clap of thunder boomed overhead, Jay quickly whipped out a switchblade and held it right at Lio's cheek. Lio stood statuesque, eyes narrowing as Jay inched closer.

Lio heard Galo begin to move, his footsteps essentially digging potholes into the wet asphalt.

"What in the _hell_ do you think—"

"Galo!' Lio breathed heavily through his nostrils, "Don't. It's fine."

"The hell it ain't! Lio—"

_"It's fine,_ Lio could feel Galo recoil next him, heard him curse under his breath as he stood closer to him. He never took his eyes off Jay as the latter began to laugh.

"Yeah, _Galo,_ be a good dog and stay out of it," he turned his attention back to Lio and pressed his knife a little deeper, not yet digging under the skin.

"You think I'm not angry, Jay? This city didn't just steal from you, it's stolen from many of us, but burning everything to the ground isn't going to solve a thing. In fact, it will make it worse, much worse." Lio softened his eyes, which melted the steel of Jay's as they liquified back into their milky grays. Lio could feel the knife relax on his cheek as he watched tears pool silver in the corners of his eyes, "You're a good person, Jay."

Before Jay had a chance to respond, the sky roared with another roll of thunder, startling him, causing him to twitch his hand and slice Lio's cheek by mistake.

It wasn't a deep cut by any means, Lio barely felt any sort of sting, but before he had a chance to finish rectifying the situation, Galo had already pummeled Jay to the ground, promptly lifting him up by the collar of his denim jacket, the switchblade forgotten on the ground.

"Are you out of your mind?" Galo bursted, "I have half a mind to turn you in right now. Don't you ever put your hands on Lio again."

"Galo, stop!"

Lio pleaded, tugging at Galo's shoulders with all his might. But the man would not budge, unrefined anger keeping him in place.

"Listen here, dumbass," Galo continued, "you're a terrible, unforgivable kid who should consider himself lucky that anyone, let alone Lio, would want to help you out. Now, if you _ever_ put your hands on him again, you'll have to deal with me," Galo finally let go of Jay, who fell backwards into a puddle, fear finding its way to the corners of his mouth, weighing it down into a fearful frown.

Suddenly, the clouds gave way once more and it began to rain. Jay took the opportunity to scramble to his feet and scurry off, halfway tumbling into a nearby alley.

"Sheesh, Lio are you—"

"Galo, why did you do that!? I told you to stop, why didn't you stop?" Lio found himself puffing furious in front of Galo, the anger in his soul rising like steam, filling his head until his entire body was on fire, random pastel blue and purple imagined triangles flooding his vision, blurring with the rain.

"Did you really expect me to sit there and watch that scumbag slice you open right in front of me? Seriously?"

"I told you it was fine! And he's not a scumbag, he's a teenager, a _child,_ Galo. Why would you say those awful things to him?" Lio felt his entire body tremble, glaring fireballs at Galo, waiting for his answer, each drop of rain drilling ice cold nails into his skin.__

_ __ _

_ __ _

"Because you were just trying to help him and he's out here threatening to kill you!" Galo's eyes filled with bewilderment and desperation, begging Lio to understand. Lio was having none of it.

"Why couldn't you just listen to me? I was getting through to him," Lio couldn't help but scowl at Galo, pain and frustration completely taking the wheel. He looked away briefly before returning his blazing gaze, "I thought you trusted me," he whispered.

"I do trust you, Lio. But I don't trust that kid. How is that so crazy? He literally had a knife to your face!" Galo stepped closer, almost reaching for Lio's hands, who responded by crossing his arms again, "Is what he said true? Are you trying to save people like him? Is that what you've spent your time doing? Lio, people like him are beyond saving."

Lio almost buckled at the knees, Galo's words crushing him like a frozen mallet. He couldn't even feel the rain anymore as the blazing inferno raging within roared, absolute betrayal ringing in his ears as the same words he'd heard a hundred times before rang in his head from a voice he never thought he'd hear utter them.

"Where is this judgement coming from? Did you only like me because of the way I looked? Because I play something dainty like the piano?" Lio couldn't stop the words from barreling out of his mouth, "you say that like I'm wasting my time. How dare you dismiss my intentions as something useless and wasteful? Didn't you say everyone deserves to be saved?" He could feel the water rise in his eyes and quickly blinked them away.

_Do not cry, not now._

"Yes, and I meant it but—"

"Clearly, you didn't," Lio was spitting fire and he couldn't stop, "I thought you were different from everyone else. I thought I found someone who finally took me seriously, who finally shared the same ideals of saving people who were a little helpless. But as soon as you dipped your toe into this part of my life, this very real and prominent piece of me, you shrank into the same cookie cutter Promepolis jerk who only cares about the pretty lights."

"Lio..."

Lio tried to stop the fiery venom that spat from his mouth next, but he couldn't as he leaned in close to Galo's face.

"You're such a hypocrite," he whispered, "what would your parents think of you right now?"

Lio watched as those deep sea glaciers crashed into a cold, thoughtless sea, sinking slowly until they were completely submerged in the tears welling in Galo's eyes, who slowly took three steps back and placed his hands in his pockets.

_Do not cry, please._

A single tear tumbled down Lio's cheek, its path interrupted by rain drops. Lio felt every emotion cascade down his face, pain, anger, frustration, and most of all, regret, sliding down and falling off his chin.

Galo was the first to break the silence, "I don't know," the faintest sound of a whimper touching the tail end of his sentence.

Lio wanted to scream. Wanted to cry. Wanted so desperately to rewind and wish he never took things so quickly. Wanted to go back and never walk into the coffee shop in the first place. Wanted to collapse into Galo's arms and beg him to forget, too.

Instead he simply scoffed and turned to walk away, ignoring the tiny sob that escaped from Galo's lips, drowning it out by focusing his hearing on the rain, tears falling faster than every icy nail hammering into him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Galo can't get the last awful encounter with Lio out of his head. As his head swims with guilt, he finds himself trying to figure out the source of Lio's anger in hopes he can repair what he broke.

"Ah, shit!"

Galo managed to spill hot coffee on his arm for the seventh time that morning. His mind was, of course, elsewhere, teetering on the edge of an icy cliff, wondering if he was supposed to be the one to jump first and trust that a fiery hand would grab him and pull him back up before it was too late.

His mind had been teetering for almost a month.

"Galo," Remi shot him a stern, but sympathetic look. Galo could see the concern behind his glasses, caressing the edges of his seafoam eyes, "language!"

"Yeah, I know! I'm sorry." It was strange to hear himself apologize out loud, to feel the remorse roll off his tongue. He apologized a million different ways in his head for the last several weeks, even mouthed the words in front of a mirror, matching his body language to their meaning. But whenever he tried to voice his guilt out loud, he choked every time, water welling in his eyes.

He typed and deleted hundreds of texts, his thumb hovering over the send button, trembling and aching as every fear he could ever imagine electrified the small gap between his skin and his phone screen. He never pressed send.

Galo decided he was not only the biggest idiot in the world, but also the biggest coward.

_Come on, Galo. Stop moping at work. Concentrate! A medium extra hot skinny vanilla latte, a large soy iced chai, and a nonfat medium cappuccino with extra foam. Wait, ugh, really!?_

Galo forced his mind to blank, to forget about the icy cliff for a moment as he continued to sling beverages. An extra hot splash of milk found its way onto his left arm again, but he simply grimaced and continued working, ignoring the reddening welt on his skin.

”Galo,” Aina handed him an empty cup, “just a large hazelnut latte with soy milk and then you can take a break.”

Galo shot his head up, his eyes desperately darting to the cash register as disappointment filled his legs with sand, no sign of a blonde head of hair.

He was at the cliff again, cold air numbing his body completely, his sand-filled legs taking a step forward as he began to dive toward an icy abyss. When his eyes began to shut, he caught a glimpse of a figure engulfed in a pastel inferno, eyes painted black with anger and pain…

”Galo, your arm!”

Lucia’s shriek snapped Galo back to reality, and suddenly he felt a searing burn on his arm. He slowly turned to take a look and realized he spilled the entire vanilla latte on his skin, which was changing shades in blotches with each passing second.

_This can’t be happening…_

\---------------

”You’re lucky this is only a first degree burn,” Aina sighed as she finished wrapping his arm, a little bit of burn cream gushing at the seams, “but it is riding a fine line into second degree territory. Galo,” her eyes met his, all their years of friendship swirling through the indigo, concerned galaxies dotting the universe, “how are you doing?”

Galo looked away and laughed, “How do you know so much about burns? I thought I was supposed to be the one becoming a firefighter.” He stared at the red neon sign of the drug store they were huddled in front of. He couldn’t meet her gaze, how could he? He’d promised her a thousand times he was just fine. And while it was obviously a lie, he couldn’t bring himself to vent to her, or Lucia, or anyone about it, especially since they were the ones who picked him up on that devastating night. 

Galo couldn’t help but allow his mind to wander there, Lio’s last question ringing in his ears, cacophonous and _painful._ Oh, how he wished he stopped Lio from walking away, stopped him from crying as he spat venom at him, a defense mechanism Galo knew he deserved. He tried to reimagine the sequence of events over and over, tried to imagine a world where he grabbed Lio by the hand again, just like he did after they were supposed to part initially. If he had just stopped him from walking away, from bracing the cold storm on his own, maybe things would have ended differently.

But he didn’t stop him, he didn’t reach for his hand. Instead, he stood there whimpering as Lio _looked_ at him, all traces of a fiery inferno gone, replaced by a purple and pink flurry of betrayal that spiraled down a drain.

_My parents would think I’m a coward._

”Of course Aina knows all about burns,” Lucia’s voice brought him back once more, “just thinking of all the hours we’ve spent helping you study over a box of pizza is giving me a headache. You’re a real handful, Galo.” Lucia playfully punched his shoulder, scoring a small huff of a laugh from Galo.

”Oh come on, Lucia, don’t make me tell him how you always admit he’s actually not quite as big a fool as everyone makes him out to be,” Varys chimed, “I think your exact words were ‘Galo surprisingly has a really smart brain when he tries.’”

”Varys! I won’t stand this slander!” Lucia jumped on his back and shoved his beanie over his eyes, forcing him to flail his arms as she swatted them away.

”Is it slander if it’s true, though?” Remi interrupted his two roommates, which earned him Lucia’s boot print stamped onto his cheek.

”Alright, alright, you guys are being ridiculous.” Aina pried her girlfriend off Varys while Remi nursed his own cheek. Galo couldn’t help but let out a laugh, a real hearty laugh that echoed off the walls of his throat, stemming from the pit of his stomach. It felt odd, underserved. He quickly stopped, prompting his friends to turn and look at him, all of them softening their expressions as his smile fell into a frown.

”Oh, come on guys! Don’t look at me like that, I’m all good. It’s just a first degree burn…” Galo trailed off as Aina marched over to him, slamming her hands on his shoulders as she glared lasers into his eyes, galaxies crashing into him, the rest of the group holding their breaths.

”Galo, stop.”

”Aina, I’m fi—”

”Stop!”

”Stop what?” Galo steeled himself against Aina’s grip, which only made her hold on tighter.

”Stop lying to us! Stop lying to yourself! You can’t just call us late at night to pick you up in the middle of a thunderstorm, slump into the backseat of the car, and cry the whole way home and not give us a damn sliver of an explanation for almost an entire month,” Aina blinked away her tears, droplets of concern and resolve hugging her eyelashes like morning dew, “we’re worried about you, Galo. Look at your arm,” Galo felt the blotches on his skin pulse underneath the bandages, “you don’t have to tell us everything that happened, but...just give us _something_ so we can help mend your broken heart.”

Aina dropped her arms, but her eyes never wavered, keeping Galo in place by her sheer force of will. He wasn’t sure when the tears began to fall, but it didn’t matter. A cold gust of wind quickly dried them, leaving glistening trails of guilt that felt sticky on his cheeks.

He ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. His exhale deflated his chest in rhythm with the second flurry of wind that billowed between them.

”You’re right. I’m sorry, Aina...everyone,” he looked past Aina’s shoulders and gave the rest of his friends a meek smile, “I’ll tell you guys everything, but can we get something to eat? All of _this_,” Galo waved his hands in the air, “has got my appetite all worked up.”

Aina grabbed his arm and tugged him towards the group, “Let’s get some margherita pizza, then.”

Galo flinched as he remembered the closeness of Lio’s lips, the tenderness in his eyes as he wiped pizza sauce off his face, coupled with amusement and optimism flickering in oval sunsets.

”Actually,” he hesitated, “can we get something else? Like burgers?”

Everyone froze and turned to stare at him, four jaws going slack in disbelief.

”What!?” Lucia and Varys howled in unison.

”This...is going to be quite the story,” Remi added.

”Yeah…” was all Galo managed to mutter.

\---------------

Galo closed his eyes as he took a large bite of his burger, listening to his friends awkwardly shuffle as they processed his explanation of events. There was the rustle of napkins and a strained sip of an empty soda cup until Varys finally cut through the silence.

"That's one hell of a first date," he boomed as he absentmindedly traced an old scar on his hand, a faded white stripe painted on his brown skin.

"For real," Lucia shoved a fry into her chocolate shake, popping it into her mouth before she continued, "but what the hell man? That last part doesn't sound anything like you. I know you're an idiot and all, but I thought you at least had some kind of emotional intelligence swimming around in that thick skull of yours."

"First of all, Lucia, that's gross." Remi frowned as she dipped three more fries in her shake, the corners of his mouth dipping even lower as she waved one in his face. He shooed her away, "Secondly, as much as I hate to admit it, she's right. Galo, we've been friends for a while, have worked together for even longer, and I've never seen you give into your anger and frustrations before, even when Biar spits her daily insults at you."

Galo took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled, feeling the air leave his lungs until his chest felt tight, "I know, I know. I just...I couldn't reel it in. He told me a bunch of times to let him handle it, but as soon as that kid slipped, I completely lost my cool."

"I mean, I think it's pretty understandable. How else were you supposed to react? I don't know, if I'm putting myself in your shoes, I think I would have done the same thing."

"That's the thing, Varys, it's _not_ understandable." Galo dropped his burger and leaned back in his chair, "I told him I trusted him, even though it was our first time hangin' out together, and I could tell he was beginning to trust me. But I ruined it! He isn't some delicate little flower who needs saving, he's strong enough on his own, that much his clear. He just needed my support, he just needed to know I believed in him as he handled it all but....arrrrgh!"

Galo shoved his hands into his hair, bundling them into fists as he pulled, straining his scalp, "Something about Lio makes my emotions run wild. When I look at him, my soul burns with something...I don't know, _good._ It feels good. It doesn't make sense, how can I feel so strongly about him after such a short time? It's like we were meant to meet, or something. So when I saw him in potential danger, I couldn't control all the intensity burning in my heart," he smacked his hands on the table, but his friends didn't budge as they allowed him to carry on, "I don't know what I'm doing, and I feel like shit."

"Good," Aina finally snapped.

"What?"

"I said good, I'm glad you feel terrible. Honestly, Galo, what were you thinking?”

"Uh, Aina? Weren't you the one who wanted Galo to not feel like shi—" Aina cut Varys off before he could finish, the coldness of her voice rivaling a blizzard.

"You're acting like a real idiot, Galo. How could you say those things to that kid, to Lio?"

"To be fair," Lucia carefully treaded, "Lio didn't have the most choice words for Galo either."

"And I'm not saying he did. What Lio said was more than cruel, but we're not talking about Lio's actions here, we're talking about Galo's," she glared sharp icicles into his eyes. Galo swore he could feel them pierce right through his pupils, shoving right into his brain, encasing his mind in a bitter frost as they made contact.

"Think, Galo," she continued, "not only did you interfere with an intimate moment by stupidly giving in to your anger, you also belittled something that was clearly extremely important to Lio."

"I..." was all Galo could breathe out.

Aina was unrelenting, "How did he react when you told him about your aspirations? Did he say it was a waste of time, to honor a man you can't even remember? From your explanation, it would seem he was much more understanding than you. I imagine he felt some kind of connection since you confirmed you share common ground with each other."

"Fuck..."

"Yeah," Aina scoffed, "he took everything important you told him and treated it with respect, treated _you_ with respect. So imagine how quickly _his_ heart broke when you crumpled up his actions into a meaningless paper ball and chucked it into a puddle. Of course he said that thing about your parents!"

Aina huffed out an angry breath and crossed her arms. She turned her head to Lucia, unable to look at Galo anymore. He peered over at his friends, who all kept darting their eyes between him and Aina, their empathy and frustration with Galo filling the space.

_Oh._

"Well," Lucia sighed as she stretched her arms upward, "what's your plan, Thymos? It's almost been a month, surely you've thought of _something._"

"I haven't thought of a damn thing," Galo admitted.

Remi snorted, "Of course not. Have you even tried reaching out to him?"

"Every time I think I've mustered the courage, I chicken out. I don't even know what to say."

"Uh, I would suggest _I'm sorry_ as a possible option," Varys chided.

"Hey now, he hasn't reached out to me, either. I'm not even sure if he ever wants to talk to me again." His remarked earned him four fistfuls of fries thrown at him while his friends yelled in unison.

"Are you serious!? You're an—"

"An idiot, yes, I know. I'll think of something," Galo grumbled as he picked a fry out of his hair. He shifted his gaze over to the glass doors of the burger joint. Snow began to fall, dusting the buildings with sparkling powder, almost falling like feathers. It was serene and gentle, allowing Galo to relax and shiver all at once. The feeling reminded him of Lio, the combination of wonder and regard swirling in his chest. His mind began to drift, he felt himself begin to slouch as he thought of the cliff again, until his eyes moved from the falling snow to a familiar head of black hair bobbing past the doors.

"I just thought of something," Galo jumped to his feet, scrambling to get his jacket on as he bolted for the door, "I'll catch up with you guys later!"

Ignoring the confused cries of his friends, Galo burst through the doors, desperately scanning the sidewalk. He began to run in the direction he swore he saw the figure walk in, frantically darting his eyes from passerby to passerby. The Christmas lights and music emanating from the storefronts didn't help and managed to gift him with a searing headache.

_Thanksgiving hasn't even happened yet! Where did he go?"_

And then he saw him, standing on the edge of the block waiting to cross the street. He grew out his black hair a little since the last unfortunate time they met, but there was no mistaking those silver eyes.

"Hey, Jay!" Galo hollered as he flailed his arms overhead.

Jay met his gaze and panicked settled into his skin immediately. He sprinted across the street, weaving through oncoming traffic, anything to get away from Galo.

"Huh, no wait! Jay!" Galo hurried after him, almost getting struck himself as he barreled through the street. It didn't take him long to catch up to the teenager, his long strides double the length of Jay's. He latched onto his backpack and pulled him to stop.

"Wait, Jay, please!"

"What do you want?" Jay hurriedly mumbled, "Are you here to hurt me?"

"What? No, definitely not," Galo felt his mouth form a guilty frown. He shook his head and stared into Jay's eyes, cerulean clashing with silver, "I'm sorry, Jay."

The teen stared back, puzzled, "Uh, what?"

"I'm sorry for what I said to you that night, it was wrong. You're just...a kid and I know you didn't mean to hurt Lio, it was an accident. You're not terrible and you're not unforgivable, that was unfair of me to say."

Jay's jaw dropped as he continued to stare at Galo, his bewildered expression slowly relaxing as he stood up a little straighter.

"It's okay, Galo. Galo, right? I kinda deserved it, Lio was just trying to help. He's always just trying to help," he clicked his teeth, "I'm sorry, too."

Both of them stood awkwardly as snow continued to fall. Galo absentmindedly wiped some of it off Jay's backpack, who huffed and pulled away.

_Wait, a backpack...?_

"So, you're in school now?" Galo asked, hoping to get at least one answer during this chance encounter.

"Y-yeah," Jay paused, "after that whole _thing_ between the three of us, I ran off and stumbled into some cops. Obviously, I reeked of gasoline and they caught on to my bullshit pretty quickly. But, "Jay smiled, the corners of his mouth reaching silver, "Lio came out of nowhere and talked them out of apprehending me. He really saved my skin there. I figured a good way to repay him was to try and go back to school..." he trailed off, blushing as he realized how much he told Galo.

"That's great, Jay," Galo laughed, smacking the teen on the back, "you're gonna do great things, kid."

"Ugh, whatever," Jay shook him off, "anyway, I have to get goi—"

"Wait," Galo grasped onto his shoulder, "is Lio doing okay? I...said some things to him and haven't heard from him."

"What, lover's quarrel?" Jay smirked but softened his expression as Galo desperately stared at him. "He's been a little mopier than usual. I heard from a bird he's been lamenting a bit on what's happened to him over the last couple years, which is unheard of for Lio. He's strong."

"Did something awful happen to him?"

_Jeez, why did I even say that shit to him? Did I open a wound?_

"Wait, you're out here getting all weird and emotional over Lio, threatening me and stuff and you don't even _know?_ “ Jay laughed, "What?"

"Well, it was the first time we hung out and..."

"Oh my god, you can't be serious?" Jay challenged, but Galo didn't budge. He sighed, "Either way, I'm not the best person to ask, I'm not close to him like that, it wouldn't be right," he gave Galo a sympathetic look. "If you can't bring yourself to talk to Lio, then I would ask Gueira and Meis."

"Do you know where I can find them now?" Galo prayed it was anywhere but Mad Burnish. He couldn't bear the thought of being confronted there of all places.

"They should be working their shifts at the fancy restaurant on that really gaudy ave, 23rd, I think."

Galo pulled Jay into a tight bear hug.

"Ugh! Galo, let me go."

Thank you, thank you! I'll see you later," Galo dropped Jay and ran off towards 23rd, leaving the teen chuckling to himself as we walked in the opposite direction.

\---------------

When Galo finally reached 23rd, he had to stop and catch his breath. He didn’t realize how far off he was until he was huffing and puffing after sprinting through several blocks. He leaned against a brownstone building, wiping the sweat off his brow as he slowed his breathing. He watched his breath transition in the air, quick white puffs swirling into long, wispy tendrils caressing the falling snow. He took off his jacket and tied it around his waist, taking a moment to process his surroundings.

Jay was correct, the ave was certainly gaudy. Each storefront was adorned with gleaming gold signs, whirling cursive through the black landscape of the buildings. White Christmas lights hung high over the ave, giving the falling flakes a pale gold glow. The pristine sidewalks were packed with prim pedestrians, coated arms heavy with shiny shopping bags. As Galo began to walk down the block, the oncoming traffic of wealthy citizens either rudely shoulder checked him or avoided him entirely.

_Jeez, talk about having a stick up your ass._

Galo quickly scanned the area as he walked, quickening his pace in panic as his wide azure eyes couldn’t locate the restaurant despite their frantic movements. He considered running all the way back to start over in case he missed it, but as the thought crossed his mind, his gaze landed on the very last building on the ave.

It was the same crystal black as the rest of the buildings, ribbon gold lettering and all. Galo wouldn’t even have thought it was a restaurant had it not been for the enclosed patio area, white table cloths somehow whiter than the falling snow. He rolled his eyes as he jogged towards the front door, pulling the handle with more strength than he thought he would need.

Before he could take in the over the top lavishness of it all, he was stopped by the hostess, who looked him up and down as if he was a used napkin that accidentally tumbled through the front by a gust of wind.

”Can I _help_ you?” she spat.

”Hi, yeah, uh,” he struggled to find the words as he glanced over to the dining area, searching for the two men who held the answers to his devastating dilemma.

”Hello!?” The hostess waved her perfectly manicured hand in front of his face, cementing the frightening thought that was brewing in his brain.

”I think I may be in the wrong place,” he sighed.

”Hmph, I’ll say. Now, have a nic—” Galo didn’t hear the rest of her reply as his gaze fell into stormy eyes. Meis was standing over by the bar, a tray of drinks balanced delicately on his palm. His long, navy hair was wrapped in a tight bun, a few strands curling at his ears. Gueira emerged behind him, his fluff of hair tied in a tiny ponytail. His angry red glare cutting right through the ice creeping in Galo’s chest. He watched Meis whisper something to Gueria, who responded in a frustrated huff, prompting Meis to place his free hand on his shoulder, pleading with his eyes. Gueira sighed and seemed to relent as his husband smiled at him and walked away, presumably to drop the drinks off to his tables. Gueira turned back to glare at Galo, stomping over with hunched shoulders. Galo took a deep breath and braced himself.

”Oy, you!” Gueira quickly made his way right in front of Galo, shoving his index finger into his chest, “Meis and I just got double sat, so we won’t be able to break for about an hour. Meet us in the back, then,” he stared into Galo’s wavering eyes, “Or don’t. I don’t care. We’ll be out there regardless.” The red head stomped away, leaving Galo a little breathless as he exhaled. He shook his head and exited the restaurant, snow still silently falling slowly. He rounded the corner of the ave to make his way to the back.

Galo didn’t see the point in trying to kill an hour doing something else, he’d probably get lost anyway. So he sat behind the restaurant, on a cold, uncomfortable curb next to the dumpster, and waited. He scrolled through his phone, answering the flurry of texts from the friends he hurriedly left behind. He reassured them he was fine, and filled them in on the goose chase he found himself on. After a while, he put his phone away, leaning his head against the wall of the dumpster. He should have found it a little gross, but in this moment, he truly didn’t care. He stared at the ground as more snow leisurely piled onto the asphalt. He felt his legs tremble a bit in response to a chilly breeze. He sprawled them out as he put his jacket back on, his joints cracking slightly at his movements.

Galo was exhausted.

He wasn’t getting much sleep as of late, replaying the scene of a crying Lio over and over any time he tried to doze off. His frantic running throughout the city left him achy, causing doubt to seep into the folds of his brain. He quickly dug it out.

_It’s worth it. It’ll be worth it. You have to resolve this or you’ll never forgive yourself._

His thoughts were interrupted by the unbearable creaking of the back door. Gueira and Meis emerged from the restaurant, leather jackets thrown over their fancy black button-ups. They both plopped themselves on either side of Galo, shoulder to shoulder as Galo braced himself once more. Meis reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He slipped one in his mouth before gesturing to Gueira, who grumpily took one as well. Meis gestured towards Galo, who simply shook his head while they both lit their vices.

Meis took a long drag before he started, “So—”

”You’re an idiot!” Gueira interupted, but there was no anger hanging on to his words. Just a hint of frustration and empathy.

”I think I’ve heard people call me an idiot at least a thousand times today.”

”Well, I’m tellin’ ya for the thousandth and one time. Do you have any idea how upset Lio’s been the last couple weeks? It’s hard to watch.” He gently shoved Galo towards Meis, huffing out a couple drags of his cigarette.

”I…” Galo hesitated, looking from Gueira to Meis then back to Gueira, searching for the right thing to say, “that’s why I’m here.”

”How did you know we worked here?” Meis delicately asked.

”I ran into Jay,” Galo answered with a sigh, “I saw him walking home from school, and I caught up to him to apologize. He mentioned something about stuff that’s happened to Lio that’s affecting him now,” his voice cracked with guilt, “he wouldn’t tell me what it was, told me to ask you two instead, so he pointed me here.”

”I see,” Meis turned to look a Galo, giving him a small half-smile, “how much do you know?”

”Absolutely nothing, just that he’s trying to clean up some teenagers’ acts, I guess?”

”Ugh, do you really think it’s that simple!?” Gueira clicked his teeth.

”That would explain Lio’s disappointment,” Meis placed a hand on Galo’s shoulder, “and sadness. He told us what happened between the two of you, although he didn’t mention he withheld some crucial information from you. How typical.”

”Yeah, you really said some stupid shit to him,” Gueira hissed.

”And Lio said some stupid shit to Galo.” Meis quickly quieted his partner, “While I agree you definitely carry most of the fault here, Lio shouldn’t have said what he said either. He...is really good at giving into his emotions and creating distance when he simply feels too much, which explains why he hasn’t reached out to you, despite the both of us begging him to.”

”So...what...what’s happened to him?”

” A lot man,” Gueira looked down, sadness hovering over the crimson of his eyes, “a lot.”

”I’ll start, I suppose,” Meis put out the butt of his cigarette and lit another, “have you heard of the Fotias?”

Galo racked his brain, it sounded familiar, but he couldn’t put any faces to the name, “No, not really.”

”Figures,” Gueira scoffed, “Mayor Foresight sure is a piece of shit for sweeping that under the rug.”

Meis hummed in agreement, “The Fotias were Lio’s parents, Fotia is his last name. Several years ago, they were taking a walk along downtown Promepolis late at night when they were assaulted by a man who demanded they give him all their valuables or he’d kill them.”

”Obviously, they gave him everything they had, but the bastard killed ‘em anyway,” Gueira squeezed his eyes shut, his lips quivering as he continued, “they were all Lio had and that asshole just...shot ‘em and left ‘em in the middle of the sidewalk.”

Galo’s eyes widened in horror, his hands balling into fists, knuckles scraping along the concrete curb. He promptly steeled himself, “That’s horrible. I don’t know what to say, but I guess that’s why he immediately understood my feelings about my own parents. But how does that connect with what I said? And how come I never heard of that happening? I’ve lived in Promepolis my whole life and a murder like that should have been big news, no?”

”It should have,” Meis solemnly replied, “the man responsible for their deaths was Mayor Foresight’s brother. You see, he’d been a thorn in Kray’s side for quite some time, but mostly petty crimes that didn’t draw too much attention. But after he murdered Lio’s parents, the mayor paid a lot of money for a simple slap on the wrist and eternal silence on the matter to avoid a scandal.”

”So Lio nor his parents never got the justice they deserved, that little scumbag is still prowling the streets today,” Gueira growled.

Galo was absolutely beside himself, “What!? That’s awful! There has to be something we can do, someone we can tell! I can speak to chief Ignis at the station 3 fire department, he’ll know what—”

”It’s too late,” Meis firmly stated, “the damage is done. Lio has tried, it’s no use,” another drag of his cigarette, “there’s also more.”

”Jeez, how can there be more? Lio…” Galo felt his eyes begin to water.

”After Lio lost his parents, the closest relative he had was his grandfather. Naturally, Lio gave in to his anger and began to rebel. His disdain for Mayor Foresight and Promepolis in general was too overwhelming, and he began to light fires throughout the city to materialize his anger.”

”Wait, Lio is an _arsonist_?”

”_Was_ an arsonist,” Gueira corrected, “we all were. That’s how we met. He was livin’ on our side of town at this point and we all ran into each other one day trying to burn down the same building,” he let out a sad laugh, “we figured out we had a lot in common, were angry ‘bout the same things. So we stuck together.”

Galo took a moment to process the monsoon of information that crashed over him, “So, what happened? What made you guys stop?”

”Lio’s grandfather wasn’t exactly a loving guardian,” Meis stretched out his legs, “he found out about Lio burning buildings and instead of talking to him about his anger, he simply turned him into the cops and promptly disowned him.”

”Another bastard,” Gueira spat, “luckily Lio was old enough to take care of himself, and we ended up bailing him out. After all that, he completely lost it,” Galo felt both of them shiver on his shoulders, “he finally let out all of his feelings and just _cried._ We didn’t judge him, obviously. We cried with him, actually. It was...relieving.”

”He then resolved to help troubled teens on our side of town. As you know, we weren’t the only arsonists around,” Meis turned to look at Galo, his stormy eyes brewing a cyclone of emotions, “he mentioned if it wasn’t for Gueira and I, he would have stayed angry and would have most likely ended up dead. He said he didn’t want that fate to land on anyone else’s shoulders, if he could help it. So slowly, over the last couple years, he’s been meddling with the youth, giving them an ear to vent to, a shoulder to lean on, anything to help quell their misguided fury.”

Galo was stunned to say the least. His body felt like a bag of bricks, hanging heavy, stretching out his skin. He couldn’t feel the snow kissing his skin anymore as he thought about everything he learned. Lio Fotia, a man so full of fiery resolve, Galo felt his own burning soul flicker in admiration. He thought of the crushing weight that sat on Lio’s slender shoulders, the unbridled fury that danced in Lio’s sunset eyes, tamed by his genuine determination to simply help people.

_Lio is…_

”...incredible.” Galo gasped.

”Yeah,” Gueira piped, “Lio may be younger than Meis and me, but he’s a lot more mature in a lot of ways,” snowflakes found their way onto the single tear that tumbled down Gueira’s cheek. He sniffled once and rubbed it away.

”Man,” Galo whined as he wiped away his own tears, “I’m an idiot.”

”Yeah,” the couple replied in unison. Meis giggled before he asked, “so now that you know, what will you do now?”

”I still have no clue.”

Gueira smacked Galo in the back of the head, “Well, you better think of something man! Lio isn’t gonna reach out first, he’s too hurt and too scared.”

”Hey, that was kinda hard!” Galo rubbed his head as the gears began to turn, “Do you know where I can find him now? I can’t wait any longer, I don’t think.”

Meis stood up and helped Galo up as well, “He’s teaching right now at the music school by the coffee shop you work at, his shift ends soon, too. If you leave now, you may catch him leaving the building.”

”He’s been that close the whole time? Man, I don’t much about fate and stuff but…” Galo trailed off.

Gueira jumped up and playfully smacked Galo on the shoulder, “Hey, dum dum, you should probably leave now if you want to catch your soulmate.”

”S-soulmate!? Who said anything—”

”Go!” the couple shouted. Galo flashed them a thankful smile and darted off, his determination powering his footfalls.

\---------------

Galo stepped out of the car he requested on a rideshare app and stared at the music school in front of him, which stood only a couple blocks away from the coffee shop.

It was a modest place, small with glass windows advertising their hours along with their rates in blocky letters. Galo’s hands began to fidget in his pockets. He wanted to be annoyed at his nerves, but truthfully, they warmed him up a bit, combatting the snow that was still somehow falling, delicate and unrelenting.

Galo snapped his head up at the sound of a bell jingling against glass. Glaciers crashed into sunsets again as Galo made eye contact with Lio, who was frozen in place in front of the school’s door. Galo took him in, his eyes moving from Lio’s already pink cheeks, to the oversized beige sweater, shrouded in an even bigger black coat. He turned his gaze to his face once more, noticing black bread clips peaking through the blonde strands of hair escaping from a wool hat. Galo watched Lio’s breath curl white in the frosty night air, uneven and nervous.

Galo valiantly fought back tears as Lio slowly made his way toward him.

”Hey,” Galo whispered.

”Hey,” Lio echoed, his voice sending cinders into the air, clashing with the falling snow. Galo shuddered.

”Uh, can we talk?” Galo gulped as Lio stared right at him, his cheeks and nose slowly turning pinker in the cold.

”Sure, walk with me. But first, how did you know I was here?”

”I ran into Gueira and Meis. We talked for a while and they said I’d find you here. I hope that’s okay.”

”Well, it doesn’t matter now. You’ve found me. Come on.” Lio began to walk down the sidewalk while Galo hastily met him at his side and matched his pace. They walked in silence for a few minutes, both unsure of what to say, unsure of who should start. Galo kept stealing side glances at Lio, who looked lovely as tender snowflakes gracefully fell around him, even if he seemed to miserably resent the cold.

”So what did my roommates tell you?” Lio sliced through the iciness first. 

If there was one thing Galo was good at, it was being honest, “Everything. About your parents, your grandfather, the fires...everything.”

”I see,” Lio sighed, “Jay was an extra hard soul to connect with. He lost his brother to violence in the city as well, so I felt an extra sense of responsibility for him,” he smiled, “he’s a good kid, truly.”

”Lio I—”

”I’m sorry,” Lio half-shouted as he abruptly stopped walking, “Galo, I’m sorry. What I said about your parents was vile and uncalled for. I said it out of anger and betrayal. I was blinded by rage and the things you said, things I thought you would never say. I was hurt, but that’s no excuse. I’m better than that.” He gently grabbed Galo’s left arm, who recoiled from the touch, the burn on his arm still sensitive. He noticed Lio’s demeanor falter.

”Galo, I understand if you hate me…”

”No, that’s not it!” Galo pulled his sleeves up to reveal his bandaged arm, “I burned myself at work this morning. Nothing too bad, it’ll heal no problem. Besides, I...could never hate you. Ever.”

Lio blushed at his response, but concern quickly cut through the lilac in his eyes as he knowingly stared at Galo’s arm, “You fool, you have to be more careful.”

”Yeah, I know I know.” They stood in silence for another minute, the only sound coming from the occasional shuffling of coats as cold wind flapped between them.

”Lio, I’m sorry, too. I was being a real jerk that night, and I should have trusted you more. I was just so angry and I couldn’t handle seeing you get hurt, even if it was on accident. I also shouldn’t have stepped all over your ambitions. They’re definitely not a waste of time. Actually, I find them, I find you, so amazing.”

Lio rewarded him with a soft smile. Galo thought his heart would explode right then and there.

”Thank you, Galo. It would seem we’re both emotional idiots.”

They both quietly laughed, inching a little closer to each other as forgiveness sang through the edges of their giggles. Galo would have thought all was well had it not been for Lio’s eyes, lavender pink flames slowly encasing themselves in glass.

”Galo, I really appreciate you coming to find me, running after me again. But,” Lio quickly turned away before returning his sad gaze, “whatever this is, I don’t think it’s a good idea to continue. I don’t want us to hurt each other again, it wouldn’t be fair to either of us.”

Galo felt the weight of Lio’s words wrap around his knees and _pull_ until his legs were almost shaking. The snow seemed to fall slower, each soft touch of frigid white piercing the skin on his face. He had to bite his lip to stop it from quivering.

”I guess you’re right,” was all he managed.

”I’m sorry,” the shake in Lio’s voice forced Galo to bite his lip even harder until the taste of iron swam warm in his mouth, “but I think it has to be this way.”

”I understand, Lio.” They stared at each other for a moment, watching the reflection of snow skitter and bounce off their eyes.

Lio began to walk away, turning back to look at the broken, blue-haired man, “Goodbye, Galo.”

Galo stared at the blonde head of hair bouncing away, until it turned a corner, a final wispy strand seemingly waving at him until it faded into the night.

\---------------

”Galo, I think you’re rubbing a hole into the counter, it’s clean bud.”

The bass of Varys’ voice forced Galo to stop wiping the counter, which he realized he’d been cleaning for the last several minutes. He took his visor off, ran his fingers through his mohawk, and let out a sigh.

”You doin’ okay, man?” Varys placed a reassuring hand on Galo’s shoulder. 

”Actually, yeah, I was just a little distracted,” and it was true. Galo was doing fine, all things considered. His last encounter with Lio a few days prior left him with a bittersweet contentment he was still getting used to. While he was happy to have things with Lio resolved, he’d be lying if he said there wasn’t an emptiness weighing heavy in his heart.

The bell on the door chimed, both Galo and Varys reflexively flinching at the sound. Galo began to walk towards the back to take his break until Remi sternly announced otherwise.

”Galo, Aina, take care of the customer who just walked in. The rest of us will take a fifteen.”

Galo groaned as he watched Varys, Remi, and Lucia skitter towards the break room. Aina simply shrugged until she glanced over at the register, a coy smile spreading across her face.

”It’s a regular. I’ll start his order while you ring him up,” she commanded.

”Sure thing,” Galo huffed as he almost tripped over himself once his eyes finally settled on the figure at the register.

Lio graced Galo with a half smile and a small wave, the sleeves of his gray turtleneck just a little too long as they hugged the middle of his palms. Galo felt the hole in his heart ache as he walked towards the register.

”Good afternoon, Galo.”

”Hey, Lio,” Galo felt sweat accumulate underneath his visor, “large hazelnut latte with soy?”

”Yes, please,” Lio dug into his tote to fish for his wallet.

Galo rang him up in silence while Lio adjusted the black coat draped over his shoulders. Their fingers touched as Lio reached for his card, warmth trickling up Galo’s arms and settling into the tips of his ears.

”How’s your arm?” Lio’s eyes sadly lingered on the scars on Galo’s forearm.

”It’s fine, doing a lot better. I am studying to become a firefighter, after all. If a burn like this phased me, I’d have to change course pretty quick.”

Lio laughed softly at his response, “I suppose so.”

Galo drummed his fingers on the marble while Aina took her time making the beverage. He watched Lio tuck a strand of mint hair behind his ear, making Galo’s chest tighten.

_Those damn breadclips…_

”I’m playing at Mad Burnish tonight if you want to come see. We’re doing something a little different. We like to switch it up sometimes.”

Galo stared at him, bewildered. Disbelief coursing through his body. ”Lio, I thought—”

”His order is ready,” Aina interrupted. She shoved it into his hand and skipped away.

”Here you go,” Galo outstretched the cup of coffee towards Lio, who grabbed it with his left hand and entwined his fingers with Galo’s. Galo didn’t have time to process the heat engulfing his body since Lio was tugging at the cup again with much more force than the last time. He pulled and leaned forward until Galo relented and leaned forward as well, until their faces were centimeters apart.

”I know what I said,” Lio started, his words warm over Galo’s lips, “but I realized I was running. Well, I’m done pulling away,” he tugged at the cup a little more, Galo’s knees buckled a bit, “I refuse to let you go again. I’d like to see where this goes, if that’s okay with you.”

Galo couldn’t find the words while his brain scrambled to form a single coherent thought. He did find himself continuing to lean forward, though, as Lio followed suit, both of them slowly inching towards each other, both pairs of eyes melting into each other half-lidded until the space was finally filled.

It was oh so gentle when their lips finally met. The softness of Lio’s lips fitting perfectly into Galo’s, fitting perfectly into the hole in his heart which was now a blazing inferno. There was no urgency in their collision, just a simple tenderness, as if Lio was making a gentle, yet firm promise that he would never hurt Galo again.

It was a tiny moment before they parted. The kiss was so soft and fast, Galo doubted anyone in the shop even noticed. Still, he felt his entire face glowing scarlet, which was only subdued slightly when he noticed Lio’s face flushed crimson as well.

The blonde pulled his coffee away and took a large sip to regain his composure, “You don’t have to answer now. You don’t even have to show up tonight. Just...think about it.” Lio glided towards the front door, pausing to grant Galo with a final smile and a wave before walking out the door, the timing of the bell ringing thunderous in Galo’s ears.

He stood there, frozen in place, positing if he stood still long enough, the burning sensation coursing through his veins would surely calm down.

”That was really cute.”

Aina’s voice made Galo jump and slip backwards onto the floor. She giggled as she stood in front of him.

”We’re going to that club tonight, right?” she asked. Well, more like demanded. She outstretched her hand to help Galo up.

Galo sighed as he rolled his eyes, a large grin beginning to tug at the edges of his mouth, “Yeah, yeah, we’re going. But you gotta drive!”

They both laughed as they finished cleaning up, Aina eagerly filling their friends in on what just happened as they trickled in from their break. They all bombarded him with sly smiles, which he simply shrugged off as he quietly hummed to himself.

_I’m gonna return that promise, Lio. I swear._

\---------------

"Lucia, do you have to smack your gum so loudly?" Remi groaned as Lucia popped a pink, sugared bubble right in his face, cackling as he shoved her towards Galo, the seatbelt saving her from toppling onto the floor of Aina's car.

"You'll pay for that, Puguna," before Lucia could lunged at Remo, Galo gripped on to her mint green coat, holding her back. Somehow, he found himself struggling despite Lucia's tiny frame, grunting as she fought back with fervor.

"Hey, knock it off!" Aina purposefully swerved her car, forcing Lucia back in between Galo and Remi in the backseat. Fear seeped into their pores as Aina straightened her car out, Varys chuckled at their expressions from the passenger seat.

"Hey, I don't think pilots purposely swerve their passengers back into place," Galo laughed, "I'd like Lio to see me in one piece if that's cool with you."

"You asked me to drive! Besides," Aina turned around and gave him a glance charged with judgement, "he's already seeing you like _that_, a missing limb or two wouldn't have made a difference."

Lucia and Varys snickered while Remi snorted out a giggle. Galo rolled his eyes as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his orange hoodie, trying to avert his gaze away from the old faded jeans he hastily threw on. Truthfully, he was so bloated with nerves, practically ripping at the seams, he hadn't given his outfit choice much thought. He didn't think it mattered, although from the mischief swirling in Aina's indigo eyes, he began to think otherwise.

"Oh, come on! It's not that bad! Who cares!"

"I'm just teasing." She turned a corner onto the lantern dotted block, "Oh, I think I see it! Where should I park, Galo."

"There should be a lot right behind the building."

Aina parked and they all scrambled out of the car, practically falling over each other onto the snow. Galo helped Remi up, and turned his gaze to the boisterous building. He squinted at the neon sign, _Mad Burnish_ flashing pink and yellows, painting the snow.

As Galo led them towards the back down, he paused as he found himself standing in front of Detroit. His friends gathered around him, their breath collecting together, small ghosts hovering over the glistening chopper as the flourescent lights of the building bounced off the pastel dragon. Galo stared at the empty seat, warmth erupting from the center of his chest as he remembered Lio sinking into him.

”Is this Lio’s bike?” Varys asked.

”Yup, pretty sick, right?”

”I’ll say! I want to take it apart,” Lucia crept up to the chopper, her fingers wiggling in anticipation as Aina pulled her away.

”Aina! I was just kidding, kinda…”

”Oh, hush,” Aina planted a small kiss on Lucia’s cheek, causing her to melt into Aina’s side, blushing with embarrassment.

”Fine…”

”Can we go inside? It’s freezing.” Remi shuddered, “Plus, we should get Galo to his soulmate already.”

”Hey! I never called him my soul—”

”Lead the way,” Remi cut him off.

Galo sighed as he made his way towards the back door of the club, the sound of crunching ice as his friends followed soothing his nerves.

The air in the club was heavier and warmer than the last time he was there. Whether it was because it was much busier, bustling with more bodies, or if it was something else, anticipation hugging the ceiling like smoke, Galo decided it didn’t matter.

They emerged from the hallway, Remi and Varys making a beeline towards the bar. Galo paused to stare at the stage, his eyes landing on the piano, imagining gloved fingers dancing along the keys.

”Come on, Galo,” Aina tugged at his elbow, “let’s go sit at the bar. I’m sure Lio will perform soon.”

The trio found bar stools next to Remi and Varys. Galo searched for Thyma and her boyfriend, but a stranger was manning the bar instead. He took their drinks, but before he walked off, Galo stopped him.

”Hey, is Thyma working tonight?”

”She was just up on the stage with the rest of the band.”

Galo’s heart sank at his words. He saw himself at the edge of the cliff once more, a chilly force nudging him towards the black trench down below…

_I can’t believe I missed him…_

”But they’ll be back in a couple minutes,” the bartender continued, “the blonde one insisted they take a break even though they only have one more song left to play.”

Galo’s chest deflated with the breath he didn’t know he was holding. He nodded at the bartender as he handed him his beer. He heard his friends bickering around him, something about Remi hating the nickname _Mr. Manager_ Varys and Lucia just came up with. He didn’t pay much attention to them as he burned holes into the empty stage.

As the curtains of the stage began to ruffle, Galo almost dropped his beer, his brow immediately furrowed while his body began to ache.

Thyma was the first to emerge from the black curtain, taking a seat at the drumset while her boyfriend followed close behind with a trumpet in hand. Next was Meis, a bass guitar slung over his torso as Gueira stumbled in afterwards, almost dropping his electric guitar. Galo waited with bated breath as Lio finally walked onto the stage, arms reaching upwards as he stretched while getting situated at the piano. While Gueira and Meis hooked themselves up, Lio adjusted the microphone perched on his instrument. Even those small movements made Galo’s heart and soul flicker.

He watched Lio take a deep breath, his slender shoulders delicately moving up and down, yet somehow still slicing the air above. Lio stared off into the crowd, lavender and carnation swirling with yearning as Galo watched him search, until finally sunsets after heavy rain settled onto him.

Galo forgot how to breath as Lio’s lips curled like smoke, pushing his rosy cheeks upwards into a lovely smile. He gave Galo a small waved as he cleared his throat into the mic, the noisiness of the crowd settling into a murmur.

”Oooohhh, this is gonna be good,” Lucia impishly whispered as everyone around her shushed her.

Galo began to shiver as Lio exchanged glances with his own friends on the stage. Their **[song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etTSoUEaTCc)** began with Lio, his elegant fingers moving with restrained grace as he eased them in with a jazzy sounding melody, which was suddenly accompanied by a marriage of sounds from the rest of the instruments, blending together, drowning the room with what Galo could only describe as a loud symphony of euphoric emotion. 

Just as quickly as the song picked up, it slowed down to a few notes of Lio’s piano. The blonde made sure to direct his attention to Galo as he leaned towards his mic…

...and began to sing.

Lio’s voice, deep and sultry, danced velveteen around the club. Galo couldn’t even bring himself to blink, refusing to part ways with the sparkle crackling like fireworks in Lio’s eyes for even a moment as Lio sang to him from across the room.

”Galo,” Aina’s voice shook with surprise, “you didn’t tell us he could sing so beautifully.”

”I didn’t know,” he barely whispered, not wanting to risk missing the soft, tender fire of Lio’s voice caressing his ears, tracing his heart.

With every high and low of the song, Galo felt the push and pull of Lio’s voice, as if the moon itself was tugging at the ocean swaying in Galo’s chest.

_Trap me in ice, I won’t melt or cry_

_Until the moment my hand_

_Gets to touch your cheek and heart_

_Beautiful armor made of ice_

_I’ll be waiting for you until the end_

The final verse of the song reverberated off Galo’s skull as it teetered into its conclusion. Lio stood up immediately as the crowd began to cheer, Galo watching as his eyes gleamed with the reflection of the stage lights. He gasped as Lio swiftly jumped off the stage and into the crowd. Galo barely heard Gueira and Meis yelling at their friend to be careful as Thyma giggled in the background.

Galo didn’t have to wait long before Lio crashed into him, his slender arms quickly wrapping themselves around Galo’s neck, who promptly weaved his own arms around Lio’s waist.

They stood still for a moment, breathing each other in, Galo never getting tired of the scent of roses. Lio broke the embrace slightly, bumping their noses together as he turned to face Galo.

This time, though, Galo didn’t waste a moment as he leaned down, pulling Lio even closer into a long, deep kiss. He felt Lio kiss him back slowly, the plush of his lips starting gentle before gradually melting with Galo’s. He felt those lithe fingers trace the nape of his neck until they tangled themselves into his hair, his own hands gripping Lio tighter, pulling him closer, afraid if he didn’t, Lio would somehow turn to ash.

”Whoa, did anyone know Galo could kiss like _that?_”

Galo felt Lio smile at Varys’ question before they pulled apart. Galo couldn’t help but gush at the sparkle in Lio’s eyes and the pink tracing the edges of his soft lips.

”For real! Jeez, Thymos, I didn’t know you even knew how to kiss,” Lucia devilishly added.

”Oh come on guys, please stop,” Galo whined as he felt his entire body glow crimson.

”Oy!” Galo watched Lio roll his eyes as Gueira barreled through the crowd, Meis shaking his head behind him.

”What did I say about ha—”

”Gueira,” Meis grabbed his husband by the jaw and planted a gentle kiss on his unsuspecting lips, quelling the playful anger singeing the air, “shut up.”

”Y-yes sir,” Gueira stammered.

The gang laughed as Thyma and her boyfriend found themselves behind the bar again, bringing a round of drinks for everyone. Galo realized he was still holding on to Lio and suddenly didn’t know what to do. Luckily, Lio noticed and giggled as he cupped Galo’s face in his hands and graced him with another, much shorter kiss that was just as tender.

He broke away from Galo completely and tugged him by the hand, leading him towards the empty bar stools next to their friends.

Galo thought about the icy cliff again, which slowly melted into a lush, grassy field, a quaint volcano standing picturesque against a bright, blue sky. He found himself lying on the grass, squinting as sunrays pierced his pupils, until a velvet, blonde head of hair eclipsed the sun, gifting his soul with instant relief.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven months after Lio and Galo agreed to be together, Lio suddenly finds himself overwhelmed. He knows exactly what it is, but he can't bring himself to admit it. He wonders if he ever will.

Lio hummed in rhythm with the strange symphony of sounds swirling through the coffee shop. From the whirring buzz of the blenders to the hissing sighs of the coffee machines, Lio found it all very comforting and warm, and not just because the summer sun glittered through the glass.

He was sitting in a dusty, cushioned chair in the corner of the shop, which was more decorative than comfortable, but Lio didn't mind. He readjusted the two bouquets of flowers resting on his lap and watched Galo clean up after the morning rush with his friends, blushing slightly as his eyes wandered over to Galo's blue hair, which was tied in a spiky ponytail, held together by a pink scrunchie he gifted him a couple weeks ago.

Lucia wickedly crept up behind Galo and shoved ice cubes down the back of his shirt. Aina groaned as Galo yelped in surprise, accidentally smacking a cup of coffee clean across the shop. Remi seemed to materialize out of nowhere, bopping both Galo and Lucia behind their heads. Lucia sulked away to start cleaning the mess while Galo turned to Lio for comfort.

Lio's playful smirk and half wave were rewarded with a clumsy peace sign and a large, growing grin, pushing Galo's cheeks upwards towards his eyes, which were sparkling brighter than usual thanks to sun ray veils, radiating celeste, thinly framed by midnight. Lio had to remind himself to breathe, his heart swelling with an affectionate inferno, smoke rising to his head as he felt embers tickle his chest. He still hadn't gotten used to Galo's honest enthusiasm and how it made him feel. He knew he never would; he was fine with that.

"I'll be done in about ten minutes! Hang tight, Lio."

"No worries, I won't hold my breath."

Galo scurried off while Lio took the last sip of his coffee. Much of the hazelnut syrup collected at the bottom, creating a saccharine final sip that Lio always found delightful. He would never admit the existence of his childish sweet tooth to anyone, even though Galo did find his stash of bonbons underneath his bed once. Lio threatened Galo to secrecy, who _crossed his heart,_ promising he'd never tell, chest heaving with a nervous laugh.

Lio giggled at the fond memory as he inspected his coffee cup, snorting at what Galo had written. The_ i _ in _Lio_ was dotted with a crooked heart and underneath the name, a question: _Are you single?_

Lio sighed out a soft laugh as his let his head swim with shared memories of Galo over the last seven months. Their first kiss in the coffee shop, pledges of secrecy over hidden sweets, that one time Galo drunkenly suggested sprinting through the streets of Promepolis with Lio on his shoulders, to which Lio drunkenly agreed. Their laughter bounced off each other, like music flowing out of different instruments, welding together to create a harmonious song, accompanied by the splashing of Galo’s feet as they fell over the wet asphalt illuminated by street lights. _Watch out world, we're Lio de Galon!_ Galo's silly proclamation stirring something hot and tender in Lio's chest.

He stared at the writing on the cup again, the crooked heart flushing his cheeks pink.

_I am in love with a truly wonderful idiot._

Lio sat up abruptly, the sharpness of his movements almost resulting in the flowers flying out of his lap. His last thought bounced off the walls of his skull, leaving scorch marks in its wake. Lio felt his entire body burst into flame, felt the skin on his face burning crimson, the smoke growing thicker in his head, the embers prickling his throat.

It's not like Lio was unaware of how he felt about Galo. He was _viscerally_ aware. His heart ached any time he thought about how he almost lost someone so precious, and every time it did, Galo's soul soothed it, gently kindling the fire at its center.

However, Lio made it a habit to avoid even thinking of his affection for Galo as anything as specific as _love_. He thought of their very first date, how he was a little too forward, rushing them into a situation they both weren't ready for. Of course, they're past that now, happily taking on the world as Lio de Galon, or Galo de Lion depending on the day.

Still, Lio didn't want to risk it, didn't want to risk losing the man he held most dear in his heart simply because he couldn't keep his emotions in check.

He groaned as he continued to think of Galo, the way he ran his fingers through his own hair when he was flustered or nervous, the way he tackled everything with a loud, but genuine resolve that rallied everyone around him, the way his eyes absolutely twinkled with fondness any time he looked at Lio, blue stars gleaming with affection, the way he touched Lio with such firm tenderness, never relenting as he regarded Lio as someone strong...

_Fuck. I should tell him, soon._

"Lio, you good?"

Galo's voice sliced through his thoughts like a hot knife, forcing his skin to somehow transition into a deeper shade of scarlet. He could see Galo noticing how flushed he was, watched as those eyes full of azure shifted from concern to smugness.

"So, I see my clever message on your coffee cup has you feeling some type of way," Galo stood proud, smiling as he grabbed the flowers off Lio's lap so the latter could get up and throw his empty cup away.

Lio made sure to toss it with gusto, smirking as he heard a small, surprised gasp escape from Galo. He turned to him, slanting his amethyst eyes glittering with mischief at their rose quartz centers, grazing them across Galo’s chest. He was grateful that he decided to tie his hair in a ponytail as well, the escaping strands of velvet mint that caressed his face added to his devilish allure.

Galo didn't stand a chance.

"Well actually, I was thinking about our date last week."

"Lio," there went his nervous hand, scratching at his blue head of hair, "we go on a lot of dates. What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you know the one. Our movie date..."

Confusion furrowed Galo's brows until recognition sent them flying, several shades of red making their rounds on his face. Lio could feel the heat simmer in the air. "Whoa! Okay you don't have to—"

"...where you _insisted_ we sit all the way in the back at the top right corner because no one ever sits there...

"Really, Lio, I get it, don't bring this up—" more shades of red made their way onto his cheeks as he began to sweat. Lio was relishing in all of it.

"...and even though it was dark, your hands still found what they were looking for, and when I briefly questioned you, you said—"

"Okay, okay! You win! Again!"

Lio smiled as Galo squirmed under his words, his skin swimming in sangria. Lio found mercy in his heart, though, and planted a reassuring kiss on Galo's cheek, feeling the latter ease into his soft touch. Midnight-framed celeste collided with amethyst when Lio pulled away, pure endearment shining in between. 

After a moment, Galo's gaze shifted towards the flowers in his arms. Lio softened as he relinquished one of the bouquets out of his partner’s grasp and laced his free hand around Galo's, who suddenly stood statuesque. Lio hoped a bit of playful teasing would help him relax, but Galo looked as solemn as ever.

"Galo, we should start walking, it'll be easier if we don't keep them waiting," he squeezed his boyfriend's hand, earning him a grateful smile and a kiss on his forehead.

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go."

\----------

The cemetery was a forty five minute walk from the coffee shop. The first time Galo asked Lio to accompany him, Lio offered to drive, but Galo insisted he preferred to walk, mentioning that he needed time to collect his thoughts before visiting his parents, and the long walk helped center them.

On this particular, scorching July day, the pair took their time. They never exchanged words on these walks, Lio sensing Galo’s need for patient silence as he filtered out the flurry of words he wanted to say. He always said something different, and each time, Lio felt each sentiment leave warm bruises on his heart.

As they stood in front of the granite gravestones, the sun hid itself behind thin, wispy clouds, as if it were momentarily concealing its fiery rays to help Galo relax. Lio felt his sweaty grip tighten around his thin hand, rubbing his thumb across the back in response. Their touch broke as they crouched down to place a bouquet on each grave. A familiar silence hung in the air as a hot summer breeze spiraled between them, settling on their shoulders.

”Hey Mom, hey Dad,” Galo’s strong voice broke the silence, carefully exiting his mouth, breathing out such sad softness that Lio almost pulled him into a gentle embrace, but he knew better. Lio needed to be an untethered anchor in these moments, a simple, warm, reassuring presence by Galo’s side.

”Today marks fifteen years since your burning souls moved on.” Galo winced and looked at Lio, who made sure to grace him with a comforting smile, “Sorry guys, that was a poor choice of words, but that’s what you always called them, burning souls.”

Galo plopped down from his crouching position and Lio followed suit. He watched Galo dig his fingers into the dirt, perhaps looking for a bit of coolness as he silently dug deeper. Another hot breeze swelled around them, and Lio watched the hot breath of the afternoon plaster a few baby hairs to the sweaty sides of Galo’s face.

”You guys always told me to surround myself with people whose souls burned as brightly as mine, people like Aina. I’ve definitely found people like her, people like me, who want to grin and bear the weight of the world and do good.”

Lio breathed out a surprised gasp as Galo pulled him closer, looking down at him with an expression that felt familiar, but Lio had never seen it before. He felt a soft heat simmer in his chest as Galo’s eyes enveloped him in boiling adoration, as if he were stepping into a hot spring. Galo turned his attention back to his parents as Lio gently leaned his head on his partner’s shoulder. 

”But I think I may have found someone whose soul burns brighter than mine, maybe even as bright as yours.” Lio felt his heart erupt, magma gushing out of every chamber, Galo’s words acting as a catalyst to Lio’s firestorm of emotion. Galo mentioned Lio a few times, but he always kept it simple, briefly mentioning that Lio was kind enough to accompany him.

”I think you’d be proud of me, for choosing him. I think you’d like him a lot. He’s kind and smart and so talented. Dad, I think you’d cry if you heard him play piano, if you heard him sing. His music is...enchanting,” Galo wrapped his arm around Lio’s shoulders, who in turn weaved his arm around Galo’s waist, remaining still and speechless as Galo finished, “He encourages me to be better, to burn brighter. I promise to keep him as close as I can for as long as I can.”

They sat in front of the graves for a little while, silently holding onto each other as the afternoon drifted on, the sun emerging from behind the wispy clouds as it moved further west. Lio felt a shift between him and Galo, not unlike lighting a candle with a bent wick, the flame not quite changing, just flickering in different directions.

_I need to tell him today. I have to._

”Lio, do you mind if we visit Aina’s parents before we meet everyone for pizza?” Lio felt the hum of his question vibrate against his ear.

”Of course not,” he pulled himself away from Galo’s embrace, standing up as he took calloused hands into his lithe ones, finding comfort as he felt the rough edges delicately rub against his palm. He helped Galo to his feet, “lead the way.”

After Galo pulled several flowers of the bouquets, they made their way to the Ardebit graves, both of them gingerly placing the flowers on top.

”Her parents also died in a fire, right?” Lio already knew the answer, but he felt like he needed to inflict a small wound made of guilt into his soul as he heard Galo respond.

”Yeah, they passed away a couple years after mine did. She was lucky she had Heris to look after her…” Galo sharply turned to face Lio before he could finish his thought. Lio guessed he felt his hand tense with remorse.

”Galo, I—”

”If you apologize for something you didn’t do again, for something you could never do, I swear Lio I’ll carry you over my shoulder like a caveman and take you home.”

Lio scoffed before he giggled. “Okay,” was all he managed to say.

”Good!” Galo tugged Lio’s hand and he realized he would also never get used to the flame that licked its way up his arm, danced over his cheeks, and settled into the tips of his ears at every touch. “Let’s meet up with our friends.”

\----------

”And then he screeched like a rat and slapped a coffee cup across the whole place,” Lucia recounted between bites, “all because of a little ice.”

”Hey, it was cold! Besides, maybe if you weren’t always foolin’ around, you wouldn’t have had to clean it all up.” Galo retorted as he shoveled half a pizza slice into his mouth. Lio was almost impressed, but he still let out a teasing laugh. 

”I’m not _always_ foolin’. After all, I’m the fastest out of all of you, you don’t hold a candle. Isn’t that right, Remi?” Lucia’s buns seemed to wiggle in agreement, but Lio simply attributed that to the odd lighting of the setting sun.

”Yeah, yeah,” Remi sighed as he adjusted his glasses, fatigue caressing the bottom of his seafoam green eyes, “if only you were just as enthused about the mess you leave after building whatever it is you build in the living room.”

”What!? I always clean up after myself, and even if I didn’t, you should be grateful you get to bear witness to the aftermath of genius.”

Varys and Aina snorted at the same time, Galo’s ferocious chewing serving as background noise as Lio watched their friends bicker.

”I don’t know if I’d call it genius,” Remi muttered as he reached for another slice of pizza. Lucia slapped it out of his hand, Varys catching for it before it flew too far.

”Alright guys, enough,” Aina draped her arm over Lucia’s huffing shoulders, the blonde immediately collapsing to her touch, both of them exchanging warm smiles. Lio couldn’t help but look at Galo, hoping for a similar exchange, but he found himself laughing as his chest swelled at the sight of Galo struggling to chew through the hilarious amount of pizza he shoved into his mouth.

”You know, Remi, I can pull you into my arms if it’ll help you chill, too,” Varys playfully hovered his arm over Remi, who quickly swatted it away, but not without letting a bit of pink tickle the apples of his cheeks.

”I’m just kidding,” Varys slapped Remi on the back, knocking the second slice of pizza out of Remi’s hands, tomato sauce splattering everywhere. Lio felt a few splotches dot his cheeks.

”Lio, you have some sauce on your face,” Galo somehow managed through his mouthful of food.

”Really? Do you mind getting it off for me? My hands are a little greasy.”

”Uh, sure.” Galo leaned forward with a napkin, and once he was close enough, Lio rubbed his calf against his, freezing him in place, giving Lio the opportunity to close in and plant a tender kiss on his lips, laughing at the taste of basil. Galo’s face turned crimson as Lucia and Lio cackled.

”Hey now, don’t act so prudish in public now. Lio, didn’t you mention loverboy over here getting all handsy at the movies one time?” Lucia chimed.

”Oh yeah, I remember you mentioning it.” Aina smirked, “What did he say when you asked him if he was sure about going through with…_that_?

”Well, when I asked him to make sure that’s what he wanted, he said _’Of course! Balls to the wall is my motto,’_ which is funny considering he was reaching for—”

”Okay! Please, stop!” Galo sat slumped in his chair, arms crossed, his skin resembling that of an ambulance siren, glowing redder and redder with every passing second.

”Agreed. Please, stop. I don’t want to hear this again,” Remi added, his cheeks flushed with secondhand embarrassment. 

”Lio, you told them that!?” Galo asked exasperated. Lio’s cackle died down to a genuine smile as he placed his hand reassuringly on Galo’s knee, the touch asking for forgiveness, which seemed to work as the crimson slowly began to fade out of Galo’s cheeks.

”To be fair,” Varys hummed, “you did drunkenly start the story at Mad Burnish the other day. Lio simply finished it.

”Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Galo huffed, the rest of table giggling at his embarrassment. The afternoon rolled on as their banter and laughter echoed off each other. Lio engaged in conversation as often as he could, but he couldn’t resist focusing most of his attention on Galo. The way his laugh always reached those azure eyes, how he always listened intently to his friends, hanging on to every word so he provide an honest response, the way he would catch Lio looking at him, always rewarding Lio with a giant grin full of affection.

_Galo Thymos, I am incredibly in love with you._

”Hey, Lio,” Aina interrupted before he could find the courage to utter the words out loud, “I don’t know if I’ve said this to you before, but I’m really glad you met Galo and gave him a chance. Plus, we all got to be friends with you, too.”

Lio knew Galo’s friends were kind, but he was always a little insecure around them, fearing they secretly disliked him for saying such sharp words to Galo on their first date. He’d always hung around them mostly because it was important to Galo that he did. He certainly considered them his friends, but was too nervous to prompt them into admitting they felt the same.

”I...thank you, Aina. I’m glad, too.” This is what he could manage for now. Aina’s gratitude for his existence overwhelmed him a bit as he felt a different warmth settle next to his love for Galo, appreciation seeping into his pores like a flame settling into the cracks of firewood.

”Yeah, without you, we wouldn’t have the arsenal of embarrassing Galo stories that we have now,” Lucia tacked on, Varys and Remi laughed along with her.

”You know, it feels like you guys like Lio way more than you like me, what gives?” Galo pulled Lio into him, Lio fitting perfectly into his side as he gently pressed his head into his chest. “I don’t blame you guys, though. Lio is the most incredible person I know, it’s only natural.”

Lio simply hummed with content as he felt Galo’s chest shake with laughter. He turned his gaze towards the sky, noticing the sun dipping belong the Promepolis skyline, the beginnings of sundown reflecting off his pastel sunsets.

”Galo, I need to get going. Gueira and Meis will kill me if I don’t show up with enough time to warm up.”

”Yeah, definitely,” Galo tossed a couple crumpled bills onto the table, “we’ll see you guys at Mad Burnish!”

The couple waved goodbye to their friends as they began to walk towards the lot on 8th, deciding to take the long way, like they always did.

They walked quietly for a bit, their hands comfortably entwined as they gently swung them back and forth. Lio felt his heart beating against the cage of chest. He wondered if Galo could feel it in the pulse of his hand.

”Are you singing tonight or just playing the piano?” Galo always broke the silence first.

”I think we’re just playing our instruments tonight. I’ve been working on lyrics for two new songs, but they’re not quite there yet.”

”Really? What are they called? Can I hear some lyrics, please?” Galo stared down at him, blue eyes filled with wonder. Lio thought his chest was about to combust into flames.

_Tell him._

”One of them is called Nexus, and I think I’ll name the second song Inferno, but that’s all you get. A musician never reveals their secrets.

”Isn’t it magicians?” Galo’s eyes furrowed in confusion.

”Maybe,” Lio giggled, tightening his grip as his chest continued to tighten.

”Ah, well, I’m sure when you’re ready to reveal them, you’ll knock everyone off their feet, especially me. Your music always knocks me off my feet,” Galo’s voice suddenly grew softer, fonder, “you knock me off my feet.”

Lio stopped abruptly, his sneakers squeaking softly on the pavement. He let Galo’s words curl in his head like smoke, swirl in his heart like the ghost of a wildfire born of something more pure than anything Lio has ever felt.

_Tell him._

”Galo,” Lio mumbled as he inched closer, reaching up to caress Galo’s cheek, his fingers finding his chin, tilting him downward. He felt Galo shiver as he hovered over his mouth, feeling a nervous bead of sweat trickle down his own neck, strands of blonde and mint sticking to his skin.

_Tell him._

He watched deep sea glaciers stare at his lips as he struggled to find the words.

”I love...when you flatter me, you should do it more often,” he closed the gap and pulled Galo into a deep, open-mouthed kiss, hoping that somehow he could breathe everything he left unsaid into Galo, praying he would somehow understand.

When he pulled away, Galo simply stared at him, a little tint of bewilderment shading over cerulean. Lio pulled him along as he pushed them to begin walking again.

”Come on, Galo. We’re almost there, and I’m cutting it a little close.”

\----------

Lio never grew tired of whirring through Promepolis on Detroit, weaving in and out of traffic like a fire trickling down a rope. Warm air breathed into his face as more and more strands of hair fell out of his hair tie. The exhilaration of whipping through the city was amplified by the weight of Galo’s chest pressed against his back.

”Hey! If you’re gonna forget the helmets, at least drive more carefully! If I die, I’m—”

”Going to haunt me, I know,” Lio yelled back with a smile, “I promised, remember? We won’t crash.”

After Lio parked Detroit behind Mad Burnish, he leaned back into Galo’s chest, as he always did when they arrived. He stared up into the night sky, counting all the stars, wondering if they burned hotter than the feeling in his chest, hotter than the sun nestled behind him.

”Lio, shouldn’t we go inside? Don’t you need time to rehearse?”

Lio looked up at Galo, felt his chin lift from the top of his head to meet his gaze. Lio could stay like this forever if he could. He could stare into those wondrous, eyes swimming cobalt for eternity, could relish in the warmth of his embrace, even on this particularly warm evening.

_Tell him._

”I’d like to stay in this moment a little while longer, if that’s okay with you.” Lio made sure to soften his gaze, he let the lavender melt into the carnation of his eyes, wavering just the right amount to ask Galo to relent.

”But it’s so hot, look I’m all sweaty,” Galo groaned. Yet, he tightened his embrace despite his complaint, causing Lio to plead even further with his eyes. ”Fine, fine. You’re lucky I love you.” Lio felt Galo immediately stiffen around him, watched the cobalt swirl with realization, watched glaciers melt.

Lio quickly rearranged himself so he was facing Galo, so he was forced to look at his partner head on. His eyes traced the wet trails Galo’s sweat left behind, traced them all the way to the bow of his lips, until he let his eyes wander back to cobalt, finding nothing but absolute honesty and wonder.

”Galo…”

”Lio…”

They spoke at the same time, pink heat finding its way into both of their faces, but their eyes never wavered. Lio didn’t know what to say, so he simply stared at the man he held most dear, praying that his eyes were reciprocating the sentiment.

”Lio,” Galo whispered, always breaking the silence, “I...I didn’t mean, okay, wait, I meant it! I definitely meant it, but I didn’t mean to just...let it slip out.” Galo desperately scanned Lio’s eyes, scrambled to take his hands into his own. Lio held his breath as Galo relaxed and gifted him with the warmest smile he’d ever seen. “I’ve felt this way about you for a long time, but I was too scared to tell you, scared I’d freak you out and you’d leave.”

Lio’s hands went limp in Galo’s as he gripped them tighter. A speck of fear found itself dotting the center of Galo’s eyes.

”Galo—”

”I won’t say it again, not until you’re ready to hear it. And you don’t have to say it back just because I said it! Just,” he pulled Lio into his chest. Lio felt those calloused hands fumble through his hair, felt it all fall away from his ponytail, felt it tickle the nape of his neck, “stay with me, at least for a little while longer.”

Lio could hear Galo’s heart thump against his chest, felt it beat against his ear as his own heart matched the rhythm. He wondered if Galo could feel it ache, feel it tremble as it sank to the sound of Galo’s apprehension. Lio broke slightly, angry with himself for even giving Galo the tiniest inkling of doubt, frustrated that he hadn’t provided him with the ironclad certainty he knew he needed.

He pushed himself off Galo’s chest, gently holding on to the sides of his face, keeping his gaze firm, keeping his gaze on him.

”Galo, say it again.”

Azure widened in surprise. “What?”

”Say it again, please.” Lio wanted to hear it again, needed to hear it roll off Galo’s tongue with the same amount of honesty as the first time.

”I...I love you, Lio,” Galo wrapped his arms around Lio’s waist, who shuddered in return, but his hands remained firm on his lover’s face.

”One more time,” Lio hummed.”

”Lio Fotia, I love you,” at those words, Lio pulled Galo into a kiss, a tender, passionate kiss that numbed every nerve in Lio’s body except for the burning in his chest, the ends of his fingers, the plush of lips, and the tip of his tongue.

When they pulled apart, their eyes met half-lidded. Galo tucked a strand of hair behind Lio’s ear.

”Sorry, I uh, pulled your hair out.”

”Galo,” Lio’s voice shook and he knew Galo noticed by the twitch of his hand along his back, “I’m sorry you feel like you have to ask me to stay with you, that you feel any kind of uncertainty towards me. I love you too much to leave, Galo Thymos. I promise.”

The honest grin that curled into Galo’s cheeks melted the very last wall enveloping Lio’s heart. He felt those rough hands hug the sides of his face and pull him forward, sweaty foreheads pressing together.

”You love me?” Galo asked, surprise fading into playfulness. Lio smirked.

”Of course.”

”Since when?”

”Hmm,” Lio pretended to ponder, “probably around the time you said my earrings look like breadclips.”

”Really!?” Galo huffed out a laugh. 

”Yeah, probably.” Lio shrugged, “What about you?”

”Honestly, probably when you first walked through the door.” Lio wouldn’t have believed him had he not been staring into his eyes, which were flooded with real resolve.

”Ha, how cliche of you,” Lio teased.

”How is that any different from you? It was basically at the same time!”

”At least we exchanged a few words before I decided.”

”Argh, whatever,” Galo breathed before Lio pulled him in for another kiss. It was softer than the last one, their lips slotting perfectly into one another’s. Lio breathed Galo in, deciding Galo still somehow smelled like a warm afternoon.

They dropped their hands from each other’s faces and hopped off Detroit, their hands easily finding each other in the dark. They swung them slightly as they walked towards the back door.

”You know, I think I’m going to tell everyone you said it first,” Lio mentioned with slanted eyes full of violet teasing.

”Are you serious!?”

”Maybe,” Lio playfully stuck his tongue out as they disappeared into the building, their laughter muffled by the murmur of the club. With the help of a warm evening breeze, the door shut behind them, the clicking of the knob mimicking the twinkle of the stars.


End file.
